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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: cabinet · fall · lean · tube · firm · net · track · lie

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lie — to recline
  5. track — a song
  6. firm — a company
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. firm — decided
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. net — for catching
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. track — a path
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. firm — steady
  21. lean — to bend
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tube — a container
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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