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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. net — in sport
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ball — a great time
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. net — after costs
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. charge — a price
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lie — to recline
  16. charge — in control
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. charge — electricity
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. net — for catching

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