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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. roll — a cake
  3. game — a match
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pass — a permit
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rash — a series
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lie — to recline
  17. kid — to tease
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. kid — child
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. game — wild animals
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. roll — a list

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