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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bank — for money
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. band — a ring
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bank — for money
  8. mine — for digging
  9. band — a music group
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rash — hasty
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bank — of a river
  21. rash — a series
  22. ground — a position
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. hide — to keep secret

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