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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. staff — a stick
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. march — the month
  7. staff — employees
  8. wake — a trail
  9. march — the month
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. march — music
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. staff — employees
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lie — to recline
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mate — to breed
  24. rush — hurry

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