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

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. cue — a signal
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. season — in sport
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. lie — to recline
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. field — for sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cue — for pool
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bark — of a tree

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