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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bear — the animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. chest — a box
  6. fork — in a road
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. chest — of your body
  13. row — to paddle
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. track — a path
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. row — a line
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. fork — a garden tool

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