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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bank — for money
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. clip — to cut
  8. hand — help
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. lie — to recline
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rock — music
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bank — for money
  15. clip — for paper
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hand — in cards
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bank — of a river
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. clip — a video

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