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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: perch · band · pop · fine · lie · cap · hide · field

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. band — a music group
  6. fine — high quality
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pop — music
  10. field — a subject
  11. perch — the fish
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. band — a ring
  15. field — farmland
  16. pop — to visit
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cap — a lid
  21. field — for sport
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pop — soda

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