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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. land — to come down
  3. fall — to drop
  4. band — a music group
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. mate — a friend
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fall — the season
  10. land — ground
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. land — a country
  13. fall — to drop
  14. band — a ring
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rock — a stone
  17. dip — to sink
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. mate — a partner
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. mate — to breed
  24. dip — to dunk

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