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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 112 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. club — for golf
  6. mug — a face
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mug — a cup
  9. spring — the season
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mug — to rob
  12. game — a match
  13. club — a group
  14. ground — a position
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. lie — to recline
  17. spring — of water
  18. ground — crushed
  19. club — for dancing
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ground — the earth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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