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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cap — a lid
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bat — the animal
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. lie — an untruth

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