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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bear — the animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bear — the animal
  9. charge — a price
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. charge — in control
  22. race — the arms race
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rush — hurry

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