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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: spell · date · cold · mark · lash · present · dip · lie

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. spell — letters
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. mark — a trace
  12. spell — a short time
  13. present — there
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. dip — to sink
  18. spell — magic
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. present — a gift
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — an illness
  24. lash — an eyelash

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