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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. hand — help
  6. degree — an amount
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. can — a tin
  11. date — the fruit
  12. hand — in cards
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. can — to be able to
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. can — a tin
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — from a university
  20. fine — high quality
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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