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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: leaves · bay · pop · tear · deal · can · net · lie

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. can — to be able to
  4. net — for catching
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. can — a tin
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pop — music
  13. tear — from crying
  14. can — a tin
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pop — soda
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pop — to visit
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. deal — to handle
  24. tear — from crying

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