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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.

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: leaves · scale · rock · pitch · cap · lean · lie · hide

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. rock — music
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cap — of ice
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cap — a lid
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pitch — completely
  23. scale — in music
  24. rock — to move gently

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