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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fall — the season
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. staff — a stick
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. staff — employees
  9. hand — help
  10. staff — employees
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hand — in cards
  14. suit — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. suit — to fit
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. ground — crushed
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ground — the earth

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