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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. scale — size or range
  4. cap — a lid
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pound — a weight
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cap — a hat
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. cap — of ice
  24. scale — in music

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