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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cell — in biology
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. spell — a short time
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. spell — letters
  11. cell — a phone
  12. mate — a friend
  13. capital — money
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. capital — a city
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. spell — magic
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. lie — to recline
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. lie — an untruth

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