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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: court · object · dip · ruler · mug · leaves · fall · present

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mug — a face
  5. dip — to sink
  6. fall — to drop
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. present — the time now
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mug — to rob
  11. court — for sport
  12. object — an aim
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. present — there
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. court — of a king
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. court — of law
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. mug — a cup
  22. object — a thing
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. present — a gift

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