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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mine — for digging
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. firm — steady
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. hand — help
  12. track — a path
  13. track — a song
  14. lie — to recline
  15. firm — decided
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. firm — a company
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chest — a box
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. hand — part of the body

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