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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 116 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. charge — electricity
  3. shower — to wash
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. charge — in control
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. shower — rain
  12. suit — in cards
  13. charge — a price
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mine — for digging
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fall — the season

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