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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cold — an illness
  6. lean — thin
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cold — not warm
  10. lie — to recline
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. band — a ring
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. band — a music group
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. rock — music
  24. cell — in biology

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