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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cold — not warm
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. snap — to click
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cold — an illness
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stand — to bear
  24. fan — a supporter

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