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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. row — to paddle
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. row — a line
  8. lie — to recline
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bulb — for light
  11. band — a ring
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. band — a music group
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. board — to get on
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. board — a committee

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