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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. last — final
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. last — finally
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. hand — help
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. hand — in cards
  12. tube — a container
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. last — to go on
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mug — a cup
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. tube — the underground
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. hide — to keep secret

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