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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 120 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lie — to recline
  3. net — in sport
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. tear — from crying
  8. craft — a skill
  9. staff — employees
  10. craft — boats
  11. staff — employees
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. net — for catching
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. net — after costs
  21. staff — a stick
  22. tear — to rip
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lie — an untruth

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