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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fall — the season
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lie — to recline
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pop — music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pop — soda
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. file — a tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. file — a line of people
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pop — to visit
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. file — a document

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