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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. face — to confront
  6. fall — the season
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wound — an injury
  9. face — to point toward
  10. current — happening now
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. current — electric
  15. firm — decided
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. fall — to drop
  18. current — of water
  19. fork — in a road
  20. lie — to recline
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

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