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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: fall · lean · sharp · stick · rush · shower · bore · lie

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. lean — thin
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bore — to tire
  4. shower — rain
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bore — to drill
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. shower — to wash
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fall — the season
  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