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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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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: court · rule · cap · bank · leaves · wake · lean · lie

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. lean — thin
  4. rule — government
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. court — of a king
  10. lie — to recline
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. court — of law
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wake — a trail
  15. rule — a law
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. court — for sport
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bank — of a river

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