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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 ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. last — to go on
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. field — for sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. field — farmland
  15. last — final
  16. spring — a coil
  17. field — a subject
  18. spring — the season
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. spring — of water
  22. rest — a break
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. last — finally

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