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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 120 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. rock — music
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. sharp — clever
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stem — to come from
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. shower — rain
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. squash — the sport
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. squash — to crush

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