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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cold — not warm
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cold — an illness
  10. mark — a grade
  11. row — a line
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cap — of ice
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. cap — a lid
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cap — a hat

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