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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. swing — to play on
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. suit — in cards
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. lie — to recline
  14. swing — in golf
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. suit — to fit
  19. swing — music
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cold — not warm
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. suit — clothes
  24. lie — an untruth

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