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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. content — happy
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. face — to confront
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. content — the amount
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lie — an untruth

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