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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. net — in sport
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. last — final
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. last — finally
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. last — to go on
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stem — to come from
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. sharp — exactly

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