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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 116 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: bear · net · lie · capital · bowl · spring · game · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. net — after costs
  4. spring — a coil
  5. net — in sport
  6. bear — the animal
  7. game — a match
  8. bear — the animal
  9. capital — money
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. capital — a city
  13. lie — to recline
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. game — wild animals
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. net — for catching
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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