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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: rash · content · hide · lean · mouse · lie · bark · lash

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rash — a series
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. content — happy
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rash — hasty
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. content — the amount
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. lean — thin
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mouse — for a computer

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