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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: cap · lie · spring · leaves · chip · game · squash · temple

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. game — wild animals
  4. cap — a hat
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. chip — to eat
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. squash — to crush
  11. spring — a coil
  12. game — a match
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. cap — a lid
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. spring — of water
  19. chip — for betting
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spring — the season
  22. cap — of ice
  23. lie — to recline
  24. leaves — lets stay

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