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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. snap — to click
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pit — a hole
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pit — in a race
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. current — of water
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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