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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. drill — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. shower — to wash
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. net — in sport
  9. drill — a practice
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lie — to recline
  12. shower — rain
  13. drill — army training
  14. net — for catching
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. net — after costs
  17. sharp — clever
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. sharp — exactly

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