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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: lie · rock · ball · racket · charge · field · hide · clip

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rock — music
  5. clip — a video
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ball — a dance
  9. field — farmland
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. lie — to recline
  14. clip — to cut
  15. rock — a stone
  16. clip — for paper
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. field — a subject
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. charge — electricity
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. field — for sport

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