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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 120 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: season · chest · lie · court · ruler · bank · pit · wax

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bank — for money
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. court — of law
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wax — to grow
  11. chest — a box
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. court — of a king
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bank — for money
  21. season — in sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bank — of a river
  24. court — for sport

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