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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bound — tied together
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bound — obliged
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. current — electric
  7. ground — crushed
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bound — certain
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ground — the earth
  12. current — of water
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. foot — a measure
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — an illness
  20. ground — a position
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. stand — to bear
  23. current — happening now
  24. hide — to keep secret

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