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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. court — for sport
  10. foot — a measure
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. court — of a king
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rule — government
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rash — a series
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. court — of law
  22. branch — a division
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. branch — of a bank

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com