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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wake — a trail
  3. firm — decided
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cell — a phone
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cue — a signal
  13. firm — a company
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cue — for pool
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. firm — steady
  20. drill — army training
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wake — before a funeral

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