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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: lash · hide · content · bear · rush · calf · bat · dip

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. content — happy
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rush — hurry
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. dip — to sink
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. content — the amount
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  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