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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 · hide · ruler · court · clip · stock · bay · squash

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. court — of a king
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. lie — to recline
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. squash — the sport
  14. court — of law
  15. clip — for paper
  16. squash — to crush
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — to cut
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stock — shares
  23. court — for sport
  24. bay — a horse colour

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