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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.

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: leaves · hand · lie · court · cell · band · suit · row

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. court — of law
  3. hand — help
  4. row — to paddle
  5. cell — in biology
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. row — a line
  8. hand — in cards
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. lie — to recline
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. band — a ring
  14. court — of a king
  15. suit — in cards
  16. court — for sport
  17. band — a music group
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cell — a phone
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. band — a rubber band

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