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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fine — high quality
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cell — a phone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. plane — a tool
  19. fine — all right
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pit — a hole
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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