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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: lie · lean · degree · rule · coach · bulb · snap · court

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. lie — to recline
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rule — government
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. court — of law
  10. rule — a law
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. degree — an amount
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. degree — from a university
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. court — of a king
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lean — thin
  22. snap — to click
  23. court — for sport
  24. degree — temperature

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