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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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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: lash · court · lie · last · rock · saw · prune · rule

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. court — of a king
  3. rock — music
  4. court — of law
  5. last — final
  6. court — for sport
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rule — government
  24. prune — to trim

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