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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 124 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 · cell · temple · branch · lie · rule · key · object

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. object — an aim
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. object — a thing
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. rule — government
  8. key — the most important part
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rule — a law
  11. object — to protest
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cell — in biology
  14. court — for sport
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cell — a phone
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. cell — in a prison

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