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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 120 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. cue — a signal
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cue — for pool
  6. fine — all right
  7. ground — a position
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fine — high quality
  11. rest — a break
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. cue — a hint
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ground — the earth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ground — crushed
  24. dip — to sink

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