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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.

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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: leaves · file · pit · lie · coach · mouse · fall · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pit — in a race
  5. fall — the season
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. file — a document
  11. fall — to drop
  12. file — a tool
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. board — a committee
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. board — to get on
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. file — a line of people

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