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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hand — in cards
  3. land — a country
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. scale — size or range
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. scale — in music
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. hand — help
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. branch — a division
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. land — to come down
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. land — ground
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. scale — for weighing

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