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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · chest · can · nail · lash · lie · mate · date

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. can — a tin
  4. date — the fruit
  5. wound — an injury
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. chest — of your body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. can — to be able to
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wound — an injury
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mate — a partner
  24. can — a tin

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