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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. roll — a list
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bound — certain
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. present — a gift
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. roll — a cake
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bound — tied together
  17. present — the time now
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bound — obliged
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. present — there
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. ruler — for measuring

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