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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · object · bear · pitcher · sharp · trunk · stand · lash

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. object — a thing
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stand — to bear
  8. object — to protest
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bear — the animal
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. object — an aim
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pitcher — a jug

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