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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chip — to eat
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chip — for betting
  14. fall — the season
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. rash — a series
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. fall — to drop
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lie — to recline
  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