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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 116 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
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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: mouse · lie · land · fall · ball · face · current · charge

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. ball — a dance
  4. land — ground
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. current — electric
  8. land — to come down
  9. face — part of the head
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. land — a country
  12. current — of water
  13. face — to confront
  14. charge — in control
  15. lie — to recline
  16. ball — a great time
  17. current — happening now
  18. charge — a price
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. charge — electricity
  22. fall — to drop
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fall — the season

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