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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: lie · hand · mine · pass · cap · staff · fan · rash

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. hand — in cards
  3. lie — to recline
  4. staff — employees
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cap — of ice
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rash — a series
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. cap — a lid
  13. hand — help
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. staff — employees
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pass — a permit
  23. staff — a stick
  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