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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. saw — the tool
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. spring — a coil
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lie — to recline
  12. swing — music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. swing — in golf
  17. spring — of water
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. swing — to play on
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. spring — the season

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