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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. land — a country
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. land — ground
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. land — to come down
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pound — a weight
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. prune — to trim
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pound — for dogs

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