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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: cabinet · pass · bass · lie · chest · rush · foot · hide

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bass — low music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pass — to spend time

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