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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.

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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: lie · rush · ground · leaves · fall · scale · season · row

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fall — to drop
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fall — to drop
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. season — of the year
  9. row — to paddle
  10. ground — crushed
  11. scale — in music
  12. row — a line
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fall — the season
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — a position
  23. season — in sport
  24. rush — hurry

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