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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. season — in sport
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. can — a tin
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. season — of the year
  9. shower — to wash
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. can — to be able to
  13. shower — rain
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. stock — shares
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. can — a tin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stock — goods

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