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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: chest · degree · safe · lash · mouse · leaves · pop · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pop — music
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. degree — from a university
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. degree — an amount
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. degree — temperature
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pop — soda
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pop — to visit
  24. chest — a box

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