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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. race — the arms race
  4. track — a path
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. race — a contest
  8. chair — a leader
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bark — to shout
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. ground — crushed
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ground — the earth
  22. race — humankind
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. ground — a position

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