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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: date · mine · rest · present · lie · rash · hide · scale

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rest — a break
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. mine — for digging
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. date — the fruit
  15. lie — to recline
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. present — there
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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