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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. fall — the season
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pop — to visit
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pound — a weight
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pop — soda
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pop — music

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