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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bark — to shout
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lie — to recline
  6. shower — rain
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bank — for money
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chair — a leader
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. ball — a dance
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bank — for money
  22. ball — a great time
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bank — of a river

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