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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. content — the amount
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. content — happy

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