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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. current — electric
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. fall — to drop
  10. key — the most important part
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fall — the season
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. kick — in football
  20. rock — music
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. key — in 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