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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.

Make a worksheet

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: sharp · lie · can · chair · wound · hide · root · rule

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wound — an injury
  3. can — a tin
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. lie — to recline
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rule — government
  8. root — the cause
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. can — a tin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. root — of a word
  14. can — to be able to
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rule — a law
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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