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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fall — to drop
  3. firm — steady
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. firm — a company
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. firm — decided
  10. cap — of ice
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. face — to point toward
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fall — the season
  15. face — part of the head
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. face — to confront
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mouse — the animal

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