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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bass — low music
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. row — a line
  12. content — the amount
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stand — to bear
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. lean — thin
  23. content — happy
  24. wind — moving air

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