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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. row — to paddle
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ball — a dance
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. fall — the season
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fall — to drop
  22. row — a line
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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