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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. game — a match
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. staff — employees
  7. cap — a hat
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cap — a lid
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bass — the fish
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bass — low music
  16. cap — of ice
  17. staff — employees
  18. kid — child
  19. staff — a stick
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. game — wild animals
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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