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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. spell — a short time
  4. can — a tin
  5. spell — magic
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — to be able to
  10. lie — to recline
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spell — letters
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. can — a tin
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wave — with your hand

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