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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.

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: bay · stand · leaves · spring · pit · saw · lie · ground

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pit — in a race
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stand — to bear
  8. ground — crushed
  9. spring — the season
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pit — a hole
  21. spring — of water
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ground — a position
  24. lie — to recline

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