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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mate — a friend
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. content — the amount
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mate — a partner
  10. content — happy
  11. wake — a trail
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. land — ground
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rush — hurry
  16. land — a country
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. stand — to bear
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. lie — to recline

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