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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: fine · fall · chest · nail · cell · track · lie · lean

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cell — a phone
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fine — all right
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cell — in biology
  7. chest — of your body
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. track — to keep track
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. fall — to drop
  15. track — a song
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. lean — to bend
  22. track — a path
  23. lean — thin
  24. fine — high quality

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