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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
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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: press · roll · wake · leaves · court · rule · lie · key

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. press — to push
  3. rule — a law
  4. key — the most important part
  5. court — for sport
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. court — of a king
  9. rule — government
  10. court — of law
  11. press — newspapers
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. key — in music
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wake — a trail
  17. roll — a cake
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a list
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. lie — to recline

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