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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cold — an illness
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. capital — money
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cold — not warm
  18. lean — thin
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lean — to bend
  22. capital — a city
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cold — the Cold War

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