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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.

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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: face · current · tube · calf · lie · saw · fall · wind

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. tube — a container
  3. current — of water
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fall — the season
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tube — the underground
  8. fall — to drop
  9. face — to confront
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. current — electric
  16. lie — to recline
  17. saw — the tool
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wind — moving air
  22. current — happening now
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wind — moving air

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