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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. current — happening now
  6. clip — to cut
  7. current — of water
  8. clip — a video
  9. mine — for digging
  10. clip — for paper
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. squash — to crush
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. current — electric
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lie — to recline
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. hide — animal skin

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