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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: lie · saw · rash · ground · file · hide · bear · cabinet

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rash — a series
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ground — a position
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ground — crushed
  10. file — a document
  11. bear — the animal
  12. file — a tool
  13. lie — to recline
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rash — hasty
  20. saw — the tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. ground — the earth
  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