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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. chest — a box
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chest — of your body
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rash — a series
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rash — hasty
  17. cap — of ice
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. chest — of your 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