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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: racket · leaves · wound · sharp · drill · mug · lie · hide

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. mug — a cup
  3. lie — to recline
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. wound — an injury
  12. sharp — clever
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mug — to rob
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mug — a face
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. drill — army training
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wound — an injury
  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