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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. last — finally
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. firm — decided
  9. ground — the earth
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. last — to go on
  14. firm — steady
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. last — final
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. firm — a company
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — to shout
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. jam — a tight spot

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