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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 116 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. tear — to rip
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. craft — a skill
  10. kid — to tease
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. rest — a break
  16. staff — employees
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. craft — boats
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rest — what's left
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lash — an eyelash

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