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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.

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: rash · rule · hide · lie · row · track · arm · mine

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. track — a song
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. row — to paddle
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. track — a path
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mine — for digging
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. lie — to recline
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rash — hasty
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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