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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wake — a trail
  6. stand — to bear
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. lie — to recline
  11. face — to confront
  12. rock — music
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. rock — a stone
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. face — part of the head

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