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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 116 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: lie · hide · cold · plane · firm · cabinet · bat · mug

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mug — a face
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cold — an illness
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — to rob
  10. cold — not warm
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. lie — to recline
  13. firm — decided
  14. plane — a tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. firm — a company
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. firm — steady
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cold — the Cold War

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