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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: ruler · lie · bore · current · fan · pitcher · can · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. current — of water
  6. bore — to drill
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. current — happening now
  10. can — a tin
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. can — a tin
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. fall — the season
  20. current — electric
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fall — to drop

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