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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 · patient · vault · dip · face · lie · trunk · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. lie — to recline
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. dip — to sink
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. season — in sport
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. face — part of the head
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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