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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: hide · lie · bulb · scale · present · leaves · land · fan

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. scale — in music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. present — a gift
  6. land — to come down
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. present — there
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. land — ground
  12. lie — to recline
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bulb — for light
  15. present — the time now
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. land — a country
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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