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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 116 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: lie · sharp · lash · spell · mate · deal · file · bound

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. spell — magic
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. file — a tool
  9. spell — letters
  10. bound — certain
  11. file — a line of people
  12. mate — a partner
  13. deal — to handle
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. spell — a short time
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. file — a document
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lie — to recline
  21. sharp — clever
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bound — obliged
  24. sharp — exactly

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