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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. charge — a price
  3. fall — the season
  4. file — a document
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. roll — a list
  8. capital — money
  9. file — a tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. charge — electricity
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mug — a cup
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mug — a face
  20. charge — in control
  21. mug — to rob
  22. roll — a cake
  23. file — a line of people
  24. capital — a city

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