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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. land — a country
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. lie — to recline
  13. squash — the sport
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. squash — to crush

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