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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mug — a face
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rock — music
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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