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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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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: clip · racket · fall · lie · firm · present · ruler · root

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. firm — a company
  6. present — there
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. root — of a plant
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. present — the time now
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. clip — a video
  13. lie — to recline
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. firm — decided
  17. present — a gift
  18. clip — for paper
  19. firm — steady
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. clip — to cut

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