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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rest — a break
  4. court — of a king
  5. field — farmland
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. chip — to eat
  10. field — for sport
  11. tube — a container
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chip — for betting
  16. field — a subject
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. court — for sport
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. court — of law
  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