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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cap — of ice
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. band — a music group
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bore — to tire
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. band — a ring
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pitcher — a jug

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