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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: leaves · dip · game · saw · fan · lie · mate · bowl

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mate — to breed
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mate — a partner
  14. lie — to recline
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mate — a friend
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bowl — a dish

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