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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. kick — in football
  8. lie — to recline
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. fall — the season
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bat — the animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. fall — to drop
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pound — a weight
  24. kick — a thrill

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