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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pit — in a race
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. staff — employees
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. file — a line of people
  7. hand — in cards
  8. file — a document
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. staff — employees
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. staff — a stick
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. pit — a hole
  20. perch — the fish
  21. file — a tool
  22. hand — help
  23. bat — the animal
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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