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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a path
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. board — a committee
  10. rule — government
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rule — a law
  13. fall — the season
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. track — a song
  19. lie — to recline
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lash — an eyelash

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