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

Word bank: chest · ground · suit · fan · lie · wind · fall · hide

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. suit — clothes
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wind — moving air
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. chest — a box
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. ground — crushed
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ground — a position
  12. suit — in cards
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lie — to recline
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fall — to drop
  24. suit — to fit

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