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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: shower · pitcher · leaves · lie · hide · bear · mouse · board

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. shower — to wash
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. shower — rain
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. board — to get on
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. board — a committee
  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