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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. face — to confront
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. cue — for pool
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cue — a signal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. face — to point toward
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lie — to recline
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. ground — a position
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. face — part of the head
  18. ground — the earth
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cue — a hint
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. ground — crushed
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. dip — to sink

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