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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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Word bank
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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: shower · mug · face · court · ruler · lie · pass · branch

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. mug — a face
  4. shower — to wash
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. branch — a division
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pass — a permit
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. court — of law
  18. face — part of the head
  19. court — of a king
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. shower — rain
  24. mug — a cup

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