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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wind — moving air
  4. tear — from crying
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mate — a friend
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. tear — to rip
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mark — a grade
  21. tear — from crying
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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