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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. spring — of water
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. hand — help
  10. spring — the season
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. dip — to sink
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mark — a trace
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. spring — a coil
  18. hand — in cards
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. suit — clothes

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