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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. spell — letters
  3. root — the cause
  4. spell — a short time
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. root — of a word
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. spell — magic
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. root — of a plant
  24. stand — to bear

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