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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. charge — a price
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. can — to be able to
  5. lie — to recline
  6. land — to come down
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. charge — in control
  9. can — a tin
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. can — a tin
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. land — ground
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stock — goods
  18. shower — rain
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. shower — to wash
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. land — a country

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