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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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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. kick — in football
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wake — a trail

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