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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cue — a signal
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bat — the animal
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. fall — to drop
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fall — the season
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. lash — to lash out

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