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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. root — the cause
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. squash — to crush
  7. stock — shares
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bass — low music
  12. root — of a word
  13. bass — the fish
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stock — goods
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. root — of a plant
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. lie — to recline
  21. squash — the sport
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lie — an untruth

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