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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: hide · rash · lie · mark · cell · bear · fork · tube

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bear — the animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rash — a series
  15. tube — a container
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. cell — in biology
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. cell — a phone

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