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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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. row — a line
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. object — an aim
  8. row — to paddle
  9. dip — to sink
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. object — a thing
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. object — to protest
  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