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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 116 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. pitch — completely
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fall — the season
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bound — obliged
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rash — hasty
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rash — a series
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fall — to drop

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