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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.

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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: pitcher · saw · wound · leaves · bulb · bat · lie · cap

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cap — of ice
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wound — an injury
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bat — the animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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