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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 120 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: root · deal · lie · mark · hide · cold · bass · rush

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cold — an illness
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. root — of a word
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cold — not warm
  15. root — the cause
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bass — the fish
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bass — low music
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — a grade
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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