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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. suit — clothes
  5. staff — employees
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. cell — a phone
  10. staff — a stick
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. cell — in biology
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. staff — employees
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. current — electric
  17. suit — to fit
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. roll — a list
  20. mine — for digging
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. roll — a cake
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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