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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bank — for money
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. clip — a video
  8. bank — for money
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. clip — to cut
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. clip — for paper
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mug — a cup
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mug — to rob
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bank — of a river
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — rain
  24. nail — on a finger

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