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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. rock — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lie — to recline
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. field — a subject
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rock — a stone

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