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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: leaves · dip · last · season · chip · lie · snap · nail

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. season — in sport
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — finally
  13. chip — to eat
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. chip — for betting
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. dip — to sink
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. last — final
  24. season — of the year

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