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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: lie · fall · suit · march · rest · leaves · net · shower

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fall — the season
  4. march — music
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. shower — to wash
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rest — a break
  10. suit — in cards
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fall — to drop
  14. march — the month
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. shower — rain
  18. net — for catching
  19. suit — to fit
  20. net — after costs
  21. suit — clothes
  22. net — in sport
  23. march — the month
  24. rest — what's left

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