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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lean — thin
  5. charge — in control
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bound — obliged
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. charge — a price
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. lie — to recline
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fall — the season
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bound — certain
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pitcher — a jug

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