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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. charge — electricity
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. charge — a price
  9. fall — to drop
  10. sharp — clever
  11. club — for golf
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. fall — the season
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. club — a group
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. club — for dancing
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. fall — to drop
  22. charge — in control
  23. mark — a trace
  24. lie — to recline

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