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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · ruler · game · lie · date · clip · hide · toast

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. game — wild animals
  3. firm — decided
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. clip — to cut
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. firm — steady
  12. lie — to recline
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. firm — a company
  16. clip — for paper
  17. date — the fruit
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — bread
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. clip — a video
  24. ruler — for measuring

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