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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lie — to recline
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bound — tied together
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. foot — a measure
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bound — certain
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. plane — a tool
  21. fall — the season
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pit — a hole

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