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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. face — to confront
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rest — a break
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rest — what's left
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a tool
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. file — a line of people
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bass — low music

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