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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lie — to recline
  5. root — the cause
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wound — an injury
  11. root — of a word
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. root — of a plant
  21. wake — a trail
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. tube — a container
  24. mark — a grade

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