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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. root — of a word
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. root — of a plant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. file — a document
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bass — low music
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. snap — to click
  19. chest — a box
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chest — of your body
  22. deal — to handle
  23. lie — to recline
  24. root — the cause

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