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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. face — to confront
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. face — part of the head
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. face — to point toward
  16. lie — to recline
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. ruler — for measuring

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