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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. can — a tin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lie — to recline
  7. band — a music group
  8. stand — to bear
  9. band — a ring
  10. object — a thing
  11. snap — to click
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. can — a tin
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. foot — a measure
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — to protest

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