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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.

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: mouse · pitch · hide · current · fall · foot · lie · tube

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. current — electric
  6. fall — to drop
  7. tube — a container
  8. current — of water
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. pitch — completely
  14. tube — the underground
  15. foot — a measure
  16. fall — the season
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. current — happening now
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lie — an untruth
  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