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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. rest — a break
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bound — obliged
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. hand — in cards
  11. capital — a city
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bound — certain
  17. capital — money
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. hand — help
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bound — tied together
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. kick — in football

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