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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. can — to be able to
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. field — farmland
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hand — help
  10. lie — to recline
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. can — a tin
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. can — a tin
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. board — a committee
  21. hand — in cards
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. board — to get on
  24. snap — to click

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