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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. suit — clothes
  3. swing — music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rush — hurry
  10. swing — to play on
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. suit — in cards
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. scale — in music
  20. wake — a trail
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. swing — in golf
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. suit — to fit

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