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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. chest — a box
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. present — a gift
  9. staff — employees
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. present — there
  12. staff — a stick
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. drill — a practice
  16. chest — of your body
  17. present — the time now
  18. season — in sport
  19. drill — army training
  20. mark — a grade
  21. chest — of your body
  22. staff — employees
  23. season — of the year
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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