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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fall — the season
  4. firm — steady
  5. content — the amount
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mark — a grade
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. firm — a company
  15. mark — a trace
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. firm — decided
  18. content — happy
  19. lie — to recline
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wound — an injury

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