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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 124 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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. spell — letters
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cell — in biology
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wind — moving air
  9. game — wild animals
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wind — moving air
  20. game — a match
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. spell — magic
  23. foot — a measure
  24. spell — a short time

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