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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. land — to come down
  3. pop — to visit
  4. land — a country
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lie — to recline
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. sharp — clever
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. land — ground
  13. pop — music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pop — soda
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. coach — a trainer
  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