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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. current — happening now
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lie — to recline
  8. current — of water
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. current — electric
  14. track — a path
  15. spell — a short time
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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