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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 120 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: wind · land · cabinet · present · mark · mouse · hide · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. land — to come down
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. land — a country
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. present — the time now
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mark — a trace
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. land — ground
  24. wind — moving air

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