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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. can — a tin
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bank — of a river
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. bank — for money
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. can — a tin
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bank — for money
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rock — music
  20. can — to be able to
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. march — the month
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tube — a container

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