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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — a face
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mate — a friend
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bat — the animal
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. mate — to breed
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wind — to turn a key

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