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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. can — to be able to
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. chest — of your body
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. mug — to rob
  10. can — a tin
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. can — a tin
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — a face
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. sharp — clever
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. toast — bread
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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