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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. snap — to click
  3. season — in sport
  4. staff — employees
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rest — a break
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rest — what's left
  20. season — of the year
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. staff — employees

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