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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. fall — the season
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. charge — in control
  8. club — for golf
  9. charge — electricity
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. charge — a price
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. mine — for digging
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fall — to drop

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