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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. suit — in cards
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rule — a law
  8. fall — to drop
  9. suit — to fit
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fall — the season
  13. mine — for digging
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wound — an injury
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. current — electric
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lie — to recline

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