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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: mark · board · mouse · tear · fall · pitch · lie · wind

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. fall — the season
  6. tear — from crying
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. board — a committee
  11. fall — to drop
  12. board — to get on
  13. fall — to drop
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitch — completely
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wind — to turn a key

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