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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. shower — rain
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lie — to recline
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. shower — to wash
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wound — an injury
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. dip — a sauce

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