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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · perch · plane · kick · lie · pass · rest · rule

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — of law
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rest — what's left
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pass — a permit
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. kick — in football
  18. rest — a break
  19. perch — the fish
  20. court — for sport
  21. rule — a law
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. rule — government
  24. pass — to spend time

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