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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. fall — the season
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lean — thin
  6. suit — in cards
  7. mug — a cup
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. charge — a price
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. suit — clothes
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mug — to rob
  16. fall — to drop
  17. charge — in control
  18. game — wild animals
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. suit — to fit
  22. mug — a face
  23. bass — low music
  24. game — a match

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