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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. deal — to handle
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. file — a tool
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. file — a line of people
  9. spell — letters
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. file — a document
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. march — the month
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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