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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. firm — steady
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. present — the time now
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. spell — letters
  11. dip — to sink
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. firm — decided
  14. spell — magic
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. firm — a company
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. kid — to tease
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kid — child
  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