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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mate — a partner
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mate — to breed
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. row — a line
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. swing — in golf
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. row — to paddle
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. cue — for pool
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. lash — to lash out

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