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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: leaves · lie · ground · can · fall · cap · toast · chip

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. chip — to eat
  3. fall — to drop
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. can — to be able to
  7. fall — the season
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. can — a tin
  13. ground — crushed
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. toast — bread
  19. can — a tin
  20. ground — a position
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. chip — for betting
  23. ground — the earth
  24. fall — to drop

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