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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rush — hurry
  5. track — a path
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. court — for sport
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. track — a song
  20. court — of a king
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. court — of law
  23. lie — to recline
  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