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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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Word bank
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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. spring — of water
  4. file — a tool
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. season — in sport
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. season — of the year
  17. lie — to recline
  18. can — a tin
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. file — a line of people
  21. can — a tin
  22. file — a document
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. leaves — of a tree

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