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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. pass — a permit
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. current — of water
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. fall — to drop
  14. root — of a plant
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. rock — a stone
  17. root — the cause
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. rock — music
  21. current — happening now
  22. root — of a word
  23. current — electric
  24. lie — to recline

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