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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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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: lie · pit · fall · leaves · fan · branch · rock · season

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. season — in sport
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fall — to drop
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pit — in a race
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pit — a hole
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. branch — a division
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. season — of the year
  21. fall — the season
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fan — a supporter

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