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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — a lid
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. club — a group
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cap — of ice
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. spring — the season
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. club — for golf
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. spring — of water
  21. ground — the earth
  22. spring — a coil
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — a position

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