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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: snap · lie · tube · leaves · ground · march · mouse · bowl

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. march — the month
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. ground — crushed
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ground — the earth
  13. tube — a container
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. march — the month
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ground — a position

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