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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. row — to paddle
  5. present — there
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. present — the time now
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ball — a great time
  17. toast — bread
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stem — to come from
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. present — a gift

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