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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: fall · current · lie · dip · content · pass · hide · race

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pass — a permit
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. current — of water
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fall — the season
  9. race — a contest
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. content — happy
  15. current — electric
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. race — the arms race
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. race — humankind
  24. content — the amount

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