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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fall — the season
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. file — a tool
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. firm — a company
  8. pit — a hole
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pit — in a race
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. root — of a word
  14. file — a document
  15. firm — steady
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. lie — to recline
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. dip — to sink
  22. firm — decided
  23. root — the cause
  24. file — a line of people

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