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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · racket · leaves · fine · field · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fine — all right
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. lie — to recline
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fine — high quality
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. field — a subject

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