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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
468
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: patient · band · hide · pass · wound · last · lie · bore

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. band — a music group
  3. bore — to drill
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. band — a ring
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. last — to go on
  13. pass — a permit
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bore — to tire
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. last — finally
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. last — final
  24. lie — an untruth

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