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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ball — a great time
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cue — a hint
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ball — a dance
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. tear — to rip
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ball — a round shape

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