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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · lie · mug · chest · ruler · fine · wake · fan

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mug — a face
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. chest — a box
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. wake — a trail
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fine — all right
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  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