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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
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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: cap · mug · leaves · lie · game · board · toast · wake

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cap — a lid
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. board — a committee
  9. lie — to recline
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. board — to get on
  12. mug — to rob
  13. toast — bread
  14. game — a match
  15. mug — a cup
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. cap — a hat
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. game — wild animals
  20. cap — of ice
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mug — a face

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