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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. kick — in football
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. firm — steady
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. firm — decided
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. mine — for digging
  16. fall — the season
  17. firm — a company
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bat — the animal
  24. toast — bread

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