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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. lean — thin
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. fine — high quality
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fine — all right
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. kid — child
  21. snap — to click
  22. branch — a division
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lie — to recline

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