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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ground — a position
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. suit — in cards
  8. sharp — clever
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. ground — the earth
  13. suit — clothes
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bass — the fish
  16. kid — child
  17. bass — low music
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. suit — to fit
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mark — a grade
  24. sharp — exactly

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