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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cell — in biology
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cell — a phone
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. suit — in cards
  12. prune — to trim
  13. roll — a list
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. hand — help
  21. prune — to trim
  22. suit — to fit
  23. roll — a cake
  24. lash — to lash out

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