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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: lie · leaves · chip · trunk · game · fall · season · stand

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. season — in sport
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stand — to bear
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chip — for betting
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. fall — to drop
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. season — of the year
  18. lie — to recline
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fall — the season
  21. game — wild animals
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. game — a match
  24. chip — to eat

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