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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. present — a gift
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. present — the time now
  9. firm — a company
  10. rest — a break
  11. bear — the animal
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. cold — not warm
  16. firm — steady
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. tube — the underground
  21. present — there
  22. rest — what's left
  23. tube — a container
  24. firm — decided

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