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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: lie · chest · bass · land · wound · root · key · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. key — for a lock
  5. land — a country
  6. chest — of your body
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. root — the cause
  12. key — in music
  13. root — of a word
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lie — to recline
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bass — low music
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wound — an injury
  22. land — ground
  23. land — to come down
  24. fall — to drop

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