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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. suit — in cards
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. net — for catching
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. suit — clothes
  13. net — in sport
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. fine — high quality
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. net — after costs
  19. fine — all right
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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