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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. lie — to recline
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. branch — a division
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. tube — the underground
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mug — to rob
  14. row — a line
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. kick — in football
  17. mug — a face
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. tube — a container
  20. row — to paddle
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. lash — to lash out

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