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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. spring — the season
  3. spell — magic
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rule — a law
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. march — the month
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. march — the month
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pit — in a race
  14. spell — a short time
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rule — government
  17. pit — a hole
  18. spell — letters
  19. march — music
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — a coil
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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