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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hand — in cards
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. clip — for paper
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. tube — a container
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. clip — a video
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rule — government
  22. clip — to cut
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. rule — a law

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