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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: bear · swing · lean · lash · stick · drill · mark · hide

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. swing — to play on
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mark — a grade
  5. drill — army training
  6. swing — in golf
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. drill — the tool
  9. lean — to bend
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. swing — music
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. drill — a practice
  23. lean — thin
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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