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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. chest — a box
  4. hand — help
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. hand — in cards
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. chest — of your body
  14. foot — a measure
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. track — to keep track
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. track — a path
  22. chest — of your body
  23. track — a song
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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