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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cold — not warm
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. swing — music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. drill — a practice
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. swing — to play on
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. drill — the tool
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. swing — in golf
  23. cold — an illness
  24. drill — army training

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