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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 120 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.

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: ball · hide · mate · lie · season · leaves · clip · cap

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. clip — a video
  12. mate — a friend
  13. lie — to recline
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mate — a partner
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. ball — a dance
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mate — to breed
  21. clip — for paper
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. season — of the year
  24. clip — to cut

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