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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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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mark — a trace
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. ball — a great time
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mark — a grade

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