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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. ground — a position
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mate — a partner
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ground — the earth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mate — to breed
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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