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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. fall — to drop
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. root — of a word
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fall — the season
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. root — of a plant
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. root — the cause

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