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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rash — a series
  12. field — for sport
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rash — hasty
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. field — a subject
  18. charge — a price
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. field — farmland
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. charge — in control
  24. mouse — for a computer

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