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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. field — farmland
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ball — a great time
  9. hand — help
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. hand — in cards
  13. field — a subject
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. field — for sport
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. straw — dry grass

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