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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitcher · kick · fall · wax · straw · lie · temple · land

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. land — to come down
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wax — to grow
  11. land — ground
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. kick — in football
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fall — the season
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. land — a country
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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