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

Word bank: pass · cell · lie · straw · leaves · fan · suit · row

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cell — in biology
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cell — a phone
  9. suit — to fit
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. row — to paddle
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. suit — in cards
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pass — a permit
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. row — a line
  24. lie — an untruth

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