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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. can — a tin
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wind — moving air
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wind — moving air
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. can — to be able to
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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