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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. file — a document
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. file — a line of people
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. fine — all right
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. file — a tool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cell — in biology
  22. fine — high quality
  23. foot — a measure
  24. cell — a phone

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