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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 120 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bound — obliged
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. lie — to recline
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bound — certain
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mate — to breed
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mate — a partner
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wax — to grow
  24. lash — to lash out

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