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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. current — electric
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. firm — decided
  9. face — part of the head
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lie — to recline
  12. current — happening now
  13. firm — a company
  14. face — to confront
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. face — to point toward
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. current — of water
  19. prune — to trim
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. firm — steady

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