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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rash — a series
  4. kid — child
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. land — a country
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. land — ground
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. rest — a break
  14. kid — to tease
  15. swing — music
  16. plane — a tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. land — to come down
  19. rest — what's left
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rash — hasty
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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