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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. deal — to handle
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — a line
  11. ground — a position
  12. row — to paddle
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. ground — crushed
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. net — for catching
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. ground — the earth
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. leaves — lets stay

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