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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  3. lean — thin
  4. net — after costs
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. race — humankind
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. race — the arms race
  11. wake — a trail
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. net — in sport
  14. race — a contest
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. net — for catching
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. lean — to rest against
  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