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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. chest — a box
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pitch — completely
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. roll — a list
  9. chest — of your body
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. lean — thin
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. object — an aim
  20. chest — of your body
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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