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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chest — a box
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. chest — of your body
  7. fall — the season
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rest — a break
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for golf
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rest — what's left
  17. club — for dancing
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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