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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · lie · march · pitcher · chip · leaves · toast · nail

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. lie — to recline
  3. chip — to eat
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. march — music
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. toast — bread
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. march — the month
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. march — the month

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