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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 120 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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ground — a position
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fall — the season
  8. current — electric
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bulb — for light
  11. current — happening now
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bass — the fish
  14. ground — crushed
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. current — of water
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. fall — to drop
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bore — to drill

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