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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: bear · row · charge · lie · bore · stick · fall · cap

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fall — to drop
  4. row — a line
  5. row — to paddle
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. lie — to recline
  12. fall — the season
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bore — to tire
  18. charge — a price
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. charge — in control

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