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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rash — hasty
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rash — a series
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pound — a weight

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