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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. row — a line
  4. bound — obliged
  5. row — to paddle
  6. staff — employees
  7. lie — to recline
  8. file — a document
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bound — certain
  11. staff — a stick
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. staff — employees
  16. foot — a measure
  17. club — for dancing
  18. fall — to drop
  19. file — a line of people
  20. club — a group
  21. file — a tool
  22. bound — tied together
  23. club — for golf
  24. lie — an untruth

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