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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 116 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lie — to recline
  3. present — a gift
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. march — the month
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. net — after costs
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. present — there
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. present — the time now
  24. wave — with your hand

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