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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. cap — a hat
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. track — a path
  10. kick — in football
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. shower — to wash
  18. cap — a lid
  19. lie — to recline
  20. track — to keep track
  21. shower — rain
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. track — a song
  24. field — a subject

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