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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. squash — the sport
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. face — part of the head
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lie — to recline
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. snap — to click
  18. squash — to crush
  19. face — to confront
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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