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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. cap — of ice
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rock — music
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. swing — music
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rock — a stone
  19. swing — to play on
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. swing — in golf
  24. lie — to recline

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