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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. lean — to bend
  6. sharp — clever
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. lean — thin
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. date — the fruit
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wave — with your hand

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