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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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. kick — a thrill
  4. charge — a price
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — for pool
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. charge — in control
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. kick — in football
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cue — a signal
  24. kick — with a leg

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