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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pop — music
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rash — hasty
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — a thing
  16. rash — a series
  17. chip — for betting
  18. pop — soda
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fall — to drop
  21. object — an aim
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. fall — the season

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