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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: roll · ball · lie · hide · rash · bat · bank · stand

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. stand — to bear
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. roll — a list
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. roll — a cake
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bat — the animal
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bank — for money
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bank — for money

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