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

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. land — a country
  5. cue — a signal
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. prune — to trim
  8. land — to come down
  9. cap — a hat
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cue — a hint
  19. ground — crushed
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cue — for pool
  24. land — ground

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