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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wound · chair · hide · band · calf · fan · lie · suit

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lie — to recline
  3. suit — in cards
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. suit — to fit
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wound — an injury
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. band — a ring
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. band — a music group
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. calf — a young animal

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