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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pop — soda
  3. land — ground
  4. pop — music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fall — the season
  8. pitch — completely
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. land — a country
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fall — to drop
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. land — to come down
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lie — to recline
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pitch — a sports field

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