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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: hide · land · rush · bass · straw · roll · lie · fork

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bass — the fish
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rush — hurry
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. land — ground
  13. roll — a cake
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. land — to come down
  21. bass — low music
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. land — a country

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