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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. track — to keep track
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. track — a song
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. track — a path
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. kick — in football

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