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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. present — the time now
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. land — to come down
  5. content — the amount
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — thin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. fall — to drop
  14. content — happy
  15. fall — the season
  16. plane — a tool
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. present — there
  19. land — ground
  20. lean — to bend
  21. land — a country
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. present — a gift
  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