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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.

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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: rule · pit · cue · shower · mug · face · hide · lie

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rule — government
  3. face — to confront
  4. shower — to wash
  5. lie — to recline
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cue — a signal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. shower — rain
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. face — to point toward
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mug — to rob
  18. rule — a law
  19. cue — a hint
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. face — part of the head
  22. mug — a face
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. hide — to keep secret

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