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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. spell — magic
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wound — an injury
  8. spell — letters
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. roll — a cake
  11. band — a ring
  12. spell — a short time
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. band — a music group
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wound — an injury
  22. roll — a list
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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