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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: temple · object · rest · face · lie · bound · fall · current

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lie — to recline
  5. face — to point toward
  6. object — to protest
  7. rest — what's left
  8. current — happening now
  9. face — part of the head
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. object — a thing
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rest — what's left
  18. object — an aim
  19. current — of water
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. current — electric
  22. bound — certain
  23. rest — a break
  24. temple — a place of worship

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