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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. lie — to recline
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — government
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. perch — for a bird

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