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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.

Make a worksheet

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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bark — to shout
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bass — low music
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. ball — a dance
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wax — to grow
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lash — an eyelash

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