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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. cue — for pool
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. ball — a dance
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cue — a signal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cue — a hint
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. dip — to sink
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lie — to recline
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fork — in a road
  24. lie — an untruth

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