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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. cold — not warm
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. deal — to handle
  13. cue — a signal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mark — a grade
  16. shower — rain
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cue — for pool
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lash — to lash out

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