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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. cue — a signal
  7. spell — letters
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rule — government
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. rule — a law
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. tear — from crying
  16. spell — magic
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. spell — a short time
  19. tear — to rip
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cue — a hint

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