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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: stand · lie · wake · bat · pit · clip · hide · ruler

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. clip — to cut
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. clip — a video
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pit — in a race
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. lie — to recline
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bat — the animal
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. clip — for paper

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