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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rest — what's left
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. march — the month
  5. lie — to recline
  6. rest — what's left
  7. kick — in football
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rest — a break
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hand — in cards
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. march — the month
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ground — the earth
  20. march — music
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. hand — help
  24. ground — a position

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