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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mug — a cup
  13. sharp — clever
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mate — to breed
  20. row — a line
  21. mug — a face
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. sharp — with an edge

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