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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 120 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: cue · rock · fall · spring · season · tube · leaves · lie

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. spring — a coil
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. tube — a container
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. rock — music
  14. spring — of water
  15. cue — a hint
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. fall — to drop
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. lie — to recline
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. season — of the year
  22. cue — for pool
  23. tube — the underground
  24. season — in sport

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