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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 · cap · mug · lie · present · bark · foot · band

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mug — a cup
  3. band — a ring
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mug — a face
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. lie — to recline
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cap — a lid
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. foot — a measure
  17. present — there
  18. present — a gift
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. present — the time now
  21. cap — of ice
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. cap — a hat
  24. lie — an untruth

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