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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: key · mug · pitcher · wake · drill · ruler · court · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. court — of law
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. lie — to recline
  9. drill — army training
  10. mug — to rob
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wake — a trail
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. drill — the tool
  15. key — in music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mug — a cup
  19. drill — a practice
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mug — a face
  22. court — for sport
  23. key — for a lock
  24. court — of a king

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