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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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. chest — of your body
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. chest — a box
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wind — moving air
  8. land — a country
  9. wind — moving air
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. key — in music
  15. chest — of your body
  16. land — to come down
  17. tube — a container
  18. lie — to recline
  19. prune — to trim
  20. key — the most important part
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. prune — to trim
  23. land — ground
  24. key — for a lock

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