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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. land — to come down
  7. last — final
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lie — to recline
  11. last — finally
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. fall — to drop
  14. land — ground
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bore — to drill
  18. land — a country
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bore — to tire
  23. chair — a leader
  24. last — to go on

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