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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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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: lie · hide · jam · cap · band · fan · bound · squash

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bound — certain
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bound — tied together
  6. squash — to crush
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bound — obliged
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cap — a lid
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. squash — the sport

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