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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — the sport
  5. club — a group
  6. face — part of the head
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cue — a hint
  10. club — for golf
  11. face — to confront
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. shower — to wash
  16. club — for dancing
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. squash — to crush
  24. face — to point toward

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