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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. capital — money
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. charge — in control
  12. file — a line of people
  13. charge — electricity
  14. lie — to recline
  15. fall — to drop
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. file — a tool
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. charge — a price
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. fine — all right
  23. file — a document
  24. bass — low music

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