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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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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: hide · bark · racket · lie · cap · row · leaves · fine

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cap — a lid
  3. fine — high quality
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. row — a line
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fine — all right
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bark — to shout
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. lie — to recline
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. row — a quarrel

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