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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. chest — a box
  3. wound — an injury
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. sharp — clever
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. lie — to recline
  18. season — in sport
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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