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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. tube — a container
  8. cold — not warm
  9. lie — to recline
  10. race — the arms race
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. race — a contest
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. race — humankind
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. cold — an illness
  20. prune — to trim
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. tube — the underground
  24. fan — a supporter

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