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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. ball — a dance
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. chair — a leader
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pitch — completely
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. hand — help
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. shower — to wash
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. shower — rain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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