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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fall — to drop
  6. current — electric
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bound — tied together
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bound — obliged
  15. current — of water
  16. bound — certain
  17. ball — a dance
  18. lie — to recline
  19. game — a match
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. current — happening now

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