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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. ball — a dance
  5. shower — to wash
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. ball — a great time
  12. chip — to eat
  13. kick — in football
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. shower — rain
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. rash — a series
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. chip — for betting
  23. lie — to recline
  24. coach — a trainer

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