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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. spring — the season
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spring — of water
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ball — a dance
  9. craft — a skill
  10. tube — a container
  11. craft — boats
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — government
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rule — a law
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. ball — a great time
  24. spring — a coil

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