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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 120 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 · wave · chest · pop · mark · fine · lash · stick

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chest — a box
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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