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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mate — to breed
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. drill — army training
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. drill — the tool
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mate — a partner
  13. present — a gift
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. present — there
  17. lie — to recline
  18. capital — money
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. drill — a practice
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. present — the time now
  24. prune — the fruit

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