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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: lie · ruler · march · rest · nail · fall · current · mug

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rest — a break
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rest — what's left
  9. current — of water
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mug — a cup
  12. current — happening now
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mug — a face
  19. march — music
  20. current — electric
  21. fall — the season
  22. march — the month
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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