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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mine — for digging
  13. staff — employees
  14. pass — a permit
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stand — to bear
  18. staff — employees
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. racket — for tennis

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