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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pound — a weight
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. branch — a division
  11. chest — a box
  12. dip — to sink
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mate — a partner
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lie — to recline
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mate — a friend

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