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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lean — thin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. toast — bread
  10. lean — to bend
  11. charge — a price
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. tear — from crying
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. pound — a weight
  19. tear — to rip
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. tear — from crying
  22. charge — electricity
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. trunk — of a tree

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