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

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cap — a lid
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cell — a phone
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cue — for pool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. season — in sport
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. row — a line
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. cell — in biology
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cue — a hint
  24. season — of the year

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