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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 120 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. kid — child
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stock — shares
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rush — to hurry

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