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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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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: stick · lie · suit · leaves · rule · court · cold · bear

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rule — government
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. court — of law
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cold — an illness
  9. court — of a king
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. suit — clothes
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. court — for sport
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rule — a law
  24. leaves — to go away

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