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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: hand · can · hide · foot · lie · nail · scale · file

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. file — a line of people
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. file — a document
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. scale — in music
  12. foot — a measure
  13. hand — in cards
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hand — help
  20. can — a tin
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. scale — size or range
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. file — a tool

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