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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · bay · tear · foot · lash · rock · hide · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. spell — letters
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. spell — magic
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rock — music
  19. tear — from crying
  20. spell — a short time
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tear — to rip
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. hide — to keep secret

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