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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 120 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ball — a dance
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bark — to shout
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bore — to tire
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cap — a lid
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cap — of ice
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bore — to drill
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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