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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: lie · ball · leaves · fan · toast · capital · bore · hand

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. hand — help
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bore — to tire
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. lie — to recline
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a city
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  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