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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 120 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 ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. spring — the season
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. spring — a coil
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. object — a thing
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. object — an aim
  9. spring — of water
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. object — to protest
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. squash — the sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

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