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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 120 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. mine — for digging
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. can — a tin
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. shower — rain
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. plane — a tool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stand — to bear
  16. content — happy
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. shower — to wash
  20. can — a tin
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. can — to be able to
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. content — the amount

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