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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fork · lie · foot · leaves · bound · mine · racket · last

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mine — for digging
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. last — to go on
  8. bound — tied together
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. foot — a measure
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. last — final
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bound — certain
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. last — finally

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