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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: present · bound · file · lie · hide · fall · tube · charge

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. charge — a price
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. charge — in control
  6. file — a document
  7. lie — to recline
  8. present — the time now
  9. fall — the season
  10. bound — tied together
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bound — certain
  13. file — a tool
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. file — a line of people
  19. tube — a container
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bound — obliged
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. charge — electricity
  24. hide — to keep secret

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