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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 116 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: wake · cap · spring · fall · rush · lie · bore · pitcher

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wake — a trail
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. spring — a coil
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spring — of water
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fall — the season
  15. spring — the season
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bore — to tire
  21. cap — a hat
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cap — of ice

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