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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. chest — of your body
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. current — of water
  9. wound — an injury
  10. chest — a box
  11. pit — a hole
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — a list
  14. current — electric
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. current — happening now
  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