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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. chest — of your body
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pop — music
  8. hand — in cards
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rock — music
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. chest — of your body
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pop — soda
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. chest — a box
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rock — a stone
  24. pop — to visit

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