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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 124 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. lie — to recline
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mate — to breed
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. roll — a list
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. dip — to sink
  12. spring — a coil
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. hand — in cards
  16. deal — to handle
  17. roll — a cake
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hand — help
  21. spring — of water
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. spring — the season
  24. dip — to dunk

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