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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: lie · fall · pitcher · wound · wind · trunk · lean · roll

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. wind — moving air
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lean — thin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wind — moving air
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. roll — a cake
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wound — an injury
  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