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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: staff · stick · ruler · snap · court · mate · lash · lie

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. court — of a king
  3. snap — to click
  4. court — for sport
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. court — of law
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mate — a friend
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. staff — employees
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. mate — a partner

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