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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: lie · field · hide · pass · cap · rock · season · cabinet

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. field — farmland
  4. season — in sport
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. season — of the year
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cap — a lid
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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