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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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Word bank
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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mine — for digging
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lie — to recline
  7. net — in sport
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. squash — to crush
  10. saw — the tool
  11. squash — the sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. net — for catching
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. fine — all right
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. hand — help
  23. fine — high quality
  24. hand — in cards

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