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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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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fall — to drop
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. capital — a city
  9. face — to point toward
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lie — to recline
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. toast — bread
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. lean — thin
  18. wake — a trail
  19. face — part of the head
  20. capital — money
  21. lean — to bend
  22. face — to confront
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. toast — the most admired

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