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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. row — a line
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. lie — to recline
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. can — to be able to
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. saw — the tool
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. swing — to play on
  15. row — to paddle
  16. saw — the tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. swing — music
  20. land — to come down
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. swing — in golf
  23. face — to point toward
  24. lie — an untruth

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