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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.

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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: present · row · court · stand · lie · rest · mate · squash

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. present — the time now
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rest — what's left
  7. present — a gift
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. squash — the sport
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stand — to bear
  12. court — of law
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rest — a break
  16. squash — to crush
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. rest — what's left
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mate — to breed
  23. present — there
  24. row — to paddle

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