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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: pit · nail · wake · hide · game · lie · bowl · wound

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pit — in a race
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. game — a match
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pit — a hole
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wake — a trail
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. game — wild animals
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. nail — on a finger

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