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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: present · tube · perch · lie · jam · hand · fall · cabinet

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. present — there
  4. tube — the underground
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fall — the season
  9. present — a gift
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. perch — the fish
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. present — the time now
  15. tube — a container
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fall — to drop
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. hand — help
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hand — in cards
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cabinet — ministers

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