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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ball — a great time
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. land — to come down
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. kick — in football
  11. pass — a permit
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. land — a country
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. date — the fruit
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. land — ground
  20. ball — a dance
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. lie — to recline

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