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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fall — to drop
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. fall — the season
  7. current — of water
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lie — to recline
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tear — to rip
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tear — from crying
  14. shower — rain
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fall — to drop
  18. current — electric
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. charge — electricity
  21. current — happening now
  22. charge — a price
  23. shower — to wash
  24. charge — in control

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