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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 120 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 · temple · saw · hide · board · fan · can · cap

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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. cap — of ice
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cap — a lid
  9. board — a committee
  10. lie — to recline
  11. board — to get on
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cap — a hat
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. can — a tin
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. saw — the tool
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. can — a tin
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fan — a supporter

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