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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: ball · fine · lie · leaves · cap · bulb · mine · chair

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. fine — high quality
  3. cap — of ice
  4. lie — to recline
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cap — a hat
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mine — for digging
  21. fine — all right
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bulb — for light
  24. leaves — to go away

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