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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 116 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: sharp · cap · pit · hide · ball · rush · bound · lie

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bound — tied together
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ball — a great time
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bound — obliged
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pit — in a race
  10. cap — of ice
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bound — certain
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cap — a lid
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cap — a hat
  21. sharp — clever
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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