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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mouse · leaves · foot · last · season · field · hide · lie

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. season — of the year
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. season — in sport
  11. last — finally
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. field — a subject
  15. foot — a measure
  16. field — for sport
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. last — to go on
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. field — farmland
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. last — final

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