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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fall — the season
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lie — to recline
  10. dip — to sink
  11. tube — the underground
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bulb — for light
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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