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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 116 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pound — a weight
  5. ball — a great time
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. clip — to cut
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the sport
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. suit — in cards
  17. clip — for paper
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. fall — to drop
  20. clip — a video
  21. suit — to fit
  22. lie — to recline
  23. fall — to drop
  24. suit — clothes

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