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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wound — an injury
  4. can — to be able to
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. can — a tin
  10. fine — all right
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. ball — a dance
  13. can — a tin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. cap — of ice
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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