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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 124 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. fall — the season
  7. foot — a measure
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. spell — letters
  13. staff — a stick
  14. squash — to crush
  15. can — a tin
  16. staff — employees
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spell — a short time
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mine — for digging
  22. can — a tin
  23. spell — magic
  24. squash — the sport

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