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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stand — to bear
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. shower — to wash
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. dip — to sink
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. shower — rain
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. lie — to recline
  24. hide — to keep secret

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