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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · rest · lie · saw · tube · charge

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rest — what's left
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fall — to drop
  7. saw — the tool
  8. charge — a price
  9. tube — a container
  10. charge — in control
  11. tube — the underground
  12. rest — a break
  13. charge — electricity
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fall — the season

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