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

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. face — part of the head
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wind — moving air
  6. march — music
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. march — the month
  13. face — to point toward
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wind — moving air
  16. face — to confront
  17. vault — a safe
  18. march — the month

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