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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 116 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. band — a ring
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rash — hasty
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bore — to drill
  14. band — a music group
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. rush — hurry
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. season — of the year
  24. bat — in an idiom

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