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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spell — letters
  8. fall — the season
  9. drill — the tool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. hand — help
  14. spell — magic
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hand — in cards
  19. drill — army training
  20. fall — to drop
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. drill — a practice

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