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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.

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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 · march · bowl · ruler · present · lie · pass · hand

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hand — help
  4. march — the month
  5. present — a gift
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. present — the time now
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pass — a permit
  14. present — there
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. march — the month
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. march — music
  21. lie — to recline
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hand — in cards
  24. ruler — for measuring

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