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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. land — ground
  7. date — the fruit
  8. mug — a cup
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pass — a permit
  11. mug — a face
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mug — to rob
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rash — a series
  23. snap — to click
  24. lie — an untruth

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