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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. staff — employees
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. face — to confront
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. lie — to recline
  10. hand — in cards
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. face — to point toward
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. face — part of the head
  19. net — for catching
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pass — a permit
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rest — what's left
  24. staff — employees

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