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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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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: stand · ruler · current · rash · net · tear · hide · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. current — happening now
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. net — in sport
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stand — to bear
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rash — hasty
  24. ruler — for measuring

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