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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lie — to recline
  7. firm — steady
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rock — music
  13. firm — a company
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. spell — letters
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. firm — decided

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