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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. face — to point toward
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. spell — letters
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mark — a grade
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. key — the most important part
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. key — in music
  16. mark — a trace
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spell — a short time
  19. face — to confront
  20. last — to go on
  21. spell — magic
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. key — for a lock
  24. last — final

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