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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.

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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — help
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cap — a lid
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lean — to bend
  11. spring — of water
  12. mug — a cup
  13. spring — a coil
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fall — the season
  18. cap — of ice
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. spring — the season
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

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