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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spell — magic
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bound — tied together
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bound — certain
  18. spell — a short time
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. spell — letters
  21. cap — a hat
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bound — obliged

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