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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rash — hasty
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bound — tied together
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rest — what's left
  13. snap — to click
  14. band — a ring
  15. rest — a break
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bound — certain
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bound — obliged
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. band — a music group

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