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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. fine — high quality
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fall — the season
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pop — soda
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. net — in sport
  16. pop — music
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bank — of a river
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bank — for money
  21. pop — to visit
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bank — for money

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