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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 120 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: lie · arm · fall · lean · mine · content · pit · current

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  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. content — the amount
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. current — of water
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. lean — thin
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. lean — to bend
  17. current — happening now
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. current — electric
  22. pit — in a race
  23. content — happy
  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