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

Word bank: lie · lash · tear · bass · jam · stick · cue · object

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. tear — from crying
  4. object — to protest
  5. tear — from crying
  6. cue — a hint
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bass — the fish
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cue — a signal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. tear — to rip
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. object — an aim
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. object — a thing
  22. bass — low music
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bass — the instrument

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