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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. drill — the tool
  5. object — a thing
  6. charge — electricity
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. charge — a price
  10. row — to paddle
  11. charge — in control
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. row — a line
  15. dip — to sink
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fall — the season
  18. drill — army training
  19. object — to protest
  20. fall — to drop
  21. drill — a practice
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. object — an aim
  24. dip — to dunk

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