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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: bat · shower · mug · hide · pop · nail · can · lie

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pop — soda
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mug — a face
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. can — a tin
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. can — a tin
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bat — the animal
  18. can — to be able to
  19. shower — to wash
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pop — music
  22. shower — rain
  23. mug — a cup
  24. lie — an untruth

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