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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 120 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. court — of a king
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. spell — magic
  8. sharp — clever
  9. spell — a short time
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. staff — a stick
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spell — letters
  18. staff — employees
  19. lean — thin
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. staff — employees
  24. nail — for a hammer

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