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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. file — a document
  6. suit — in cards
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rash — a series
  18. lie — to recline
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. fall — to drop
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. suit — to fit
  24. deal — an agreement

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