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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pop — soda
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. clip — for paper
  11. craft — boats
  12. drill — army training
  13. current — of water
  14. clip — to cut
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. lie — to recline
  17. drill — a practice
  18. current — happening now
  19. craft — a skill
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. fall — to drop
  22. clip — a video
  23. current — electric
  24. pound — a weight

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