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

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pass — a permit
  6. charge — electricity
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. face — to point toward
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. charge — a price
  12. toast — bread
  13. face — part of the head
  14. charge — in control
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. face — to confront
  18. craft — a skill

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