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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · net · lie · kid · rule · march · leaves

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. march — the month
  3. key — in music
  4. mug — a cup
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. net — for catching
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a face
  9. rule — a law
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. net — in sport
  15. key — for a lock
  16. lie — to recline
  17. kid — child
  18. march — the month
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. net — after costs
  21. march — music
  22. rule — government
  23. key — the most important part
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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