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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 116 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. firm — decided
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. firm — steady
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. can — a tin
  14. stand — to bear
  15. can — a tin
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. firm — a company
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rock — to move gently

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