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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pop — music
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pop — soda
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rush — hurry
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lie — to recline
  24. saw — the tool

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