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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. toast — bread
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bear — the animal
  8. degree — from a university
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. date — the fruit
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lash — an eyelash

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