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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: straw · cabinet · lie · tear · spell · suit · lash · date

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. spell — letters
  12. suit — in cards
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. date — the fruit
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lie — to recline
  19. suit — clothes
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. suit — to fit

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