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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: saw · lie · cabinet · foot · net · roll · leaves · rule

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. roll — a cake
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rule — government
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lie — to recline
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. net — in sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. foot — a measure
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rule — a law
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. net — after costs
  20. saw — the tool
  21. roll — a list
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. net — for catching
  24. saw — the tool

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