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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: wound · scale · band · cabinet · charge · pit · lie · hide

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. band — a ring
  7. wound — an injury
  8. band — a music group
  9. pit — in a race
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. charge — a price
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. charge — in control
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. charge — electricity
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pit — a hole

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