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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. shower — rain
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. net — after costs
  5. content — happy
  6. net — for catching
  7. wake — a trail
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lie — to recline
  12. sharp — clever
  13. net — in sport
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. shower — to wash
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. content — the amount
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. wake — before a funeral

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