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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lie — to recline
  3. face — part of the head
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. prune — to trim
  11. staff — employees
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. face — to confront
  20. staff — employees
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. staff — a stick
  23. perch — the fish
  24. face — to point toward

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