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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bass — low music
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. object — an aim
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hand — help
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bass — the fish
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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