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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. The water is too ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cold — not warm
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cold — an illness
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rash — a series
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mate — a friend
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. kick — in football
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mate — a partner
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. wax — in the ear

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