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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. can — a tin
  4. ground — crushed
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. can — a tin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. can — to be able to
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ground — the earth
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rest — a break
  18. ground — a position
  19. date — the fruit
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lash — an eyelash

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