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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: bank · rule · lie · ball · march · lash · court · bound

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rule — government
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. court — for sport
  7. rule — a law
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. march — the month
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. march — the month
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bound — certain
  18. march — music
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. court — of a king
  22. bank — for money
  23. ball — a great time
  24. court — of law

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