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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rest — what's left
  5. spring — of water
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fall — the season
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. degree — from a university
  16. rest — a break
  17. fall — to drop
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bore — to drill

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