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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. tube — a container
  4. swing — to play on
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. swing — music
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fall — the season
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mug — to rob
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mug — a face
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. tube — the underground
  24. fall — to drop

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