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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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468
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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. kick — in football
  4. craft — boats
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stand — to bear
  11. content — happy
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. content — the amount
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. craft — a skill

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