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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 116 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. fall — the season
  4. charge — in control
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pound — a weight
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. ground — a position
  17. fall — to drop
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bark — to shout
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ground — crushed

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