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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. branch — a division
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. deal — to handle
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. spring — of water
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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