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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. craft — a skill
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. can — a tin
  14. craft — boats
  15. dip — to sink
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. kick — in football
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pound — a weight
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pound — to hit hard

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