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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: fork · lie · chest · mate · fall · jam · object · foot

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fall — to drop
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. object — to protest
  6. chest — of your body
  7. object — a thing
  8. foot — a measure
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. mate — a partner
  15. lie — to recline
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. chest — a box
  18. mate — a friend
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. chest — of your body
  24. object — an aim

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