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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: dip · sharp · bat · wave · lie · hide · ground · band

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a music group
  4. ground — a position
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bat — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. band — a ring
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lie — to recline
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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