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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. fall — to drop
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. can — to be able to
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. can — a tin
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mark — a grade
  13. squash — to crush
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. saw — the tool
  16. squash — the sport
  17. can — a tin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mark — a trace
  23. fall — the season
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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