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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. sharp — clever
  8. cap — a lid
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tear — from crying
  14. root — the cause
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tear — to rip
  21. root — of a word
  22. tear — from crying
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cabinet — ministers

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