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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. spell — letters
  7. charge — in control
  8. net — in sport
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. fork — in a road
  11. craft — a skill
  12. net — for catching
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. craft — boats
  19. charge — a price
  20. spell — magic
  21. net — after costs
  22. charge — electricity
  23. spell — a short time
  24. lash — to lash out

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