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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. capital — money
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. mug — a face
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. mug — a cup
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. lie — to recline
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. arm — part of the body

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