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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. land — to come down
  3. rash — hasty
  4. ball — a great time
  5. tear — from crying
  6. land — a country
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rash — a series
  13. land — ground
  14. firm — steady
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. firm — decided
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. tear — to rip
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. firm — a company
  24. hide — animal skin

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