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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. lie — to recline
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. club — a group
  7. wound — an injury
  8. present — a gift
  9. pass — a permit
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wound — an injury
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. present — the time now
  20. hand — help
  21. club — for golf
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. present — there
  24. hand — part of the body

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