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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. current — happening now
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. drill — the tool
  6. current — of water
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitch — completely
  13. drill — army training
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. current — electric
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rest — a break
  19. drill — a practice
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. rest — what's left
  23. snap — to click
  24. fall — to drop

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