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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. suit — to fit
  6. cap — of ice
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. suit — in cards
  17. row — a line
  18. suit — clothes
  19. ball — a great time
  20. row — to paddle
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fan — a supporter

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