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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cap — a lid
  3. mug — a face
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fall — to drop
  6. root — the cause
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mug — to rob
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fall — to drop
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mug — a cup
  20. cap — of ice
  21. fall — the season
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  24. patient — a sick person

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