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

Word bank: bay · object · cold · rest · plane · hide · lash · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cold — not warm
  4. object — to protest
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. object — a thing
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. object — an aim
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. plane — a tool
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. lash — an eyelash

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