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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cap — a lid
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. cold — an illness
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cold — not warm
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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