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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. band — a music group
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. band — a ring
  10. bat — the animal
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lie — to recline
  21. tube — a container
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. wake — before a funeral

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