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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 · mine · row · pop · chest · racket · face · lie

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. row — to paddle
  4. chest — of your body
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — to recline
  7. face — to confront
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mine — for digging
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. row — a line
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chest — of your body
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. chest — a box
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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