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

Word bank: lash · track · dip · present · cold · hide · ruler · firm

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. cold — an illness
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. track — a song
  9. firm — steady
  10. track — to keep track
  11. present — there
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. present — a gift
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. track — a path
  17. dip — to sink
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. present — the time now
  21. firm — decided
  22. cold — not warm
  23. firm — a company
  24. dip — a sauce

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