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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.

Make a worksheet

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: leaves · nail · chair · fan · dip · lie · saw · tear

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. tear — to rip
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. tear — from crying
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. saw — the tool
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chair — a leader
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lie — to recline
  24. tear — from crying

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