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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. face — part of the head
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. face — to point toward
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. kid — child
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. face — to confront
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. date — the fruit
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. dip — to sink
  17. kid — to tease
  18. 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