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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. lash — an eyelash
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. chair — a leader
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cold — not warm
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rush — hurry
  24. hide — to keep secret

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