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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: can · hide · ground · lie · rash · wound · court · present

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ground — a position
  3. can — to be able to
  4. present — there
  5. wound — an injury
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. can — a tin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. ground — the earth
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. lie — to recline
  19. court — of law
  20. ground — crushed
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wound — an injury
  24. hide — to keep secret

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