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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. hand — help
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bear — the animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. dip — to sink
  19. perch — the fish
  20. kick — in football
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. hand — in cards
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. kid — child

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