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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 that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mug — to rob
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. foot — a measure
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. toast — bread
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — not warm
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mug — a cup
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. toast — the most admired
  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