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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. staff — a stick
  7. march — the month
  8. mate — a partner
  9. march — music
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. staff — employees
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ground — the earth
  17. staff — employees
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ground — a position
  20. march — the month
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fork — a garden tool

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