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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: hide · rush · lean · tube · cold · bowl · saw · lie

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. lean — to bend
  3. tube — the underground
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. tube — a container
  8. cold — an illness
  9. lie — to recline
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. saw — the tool
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. rush — hurry
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cold — not warm
  23. lean — thin
  24. bowl — to roll

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