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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 116 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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wake — a trail
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bear — the animal
  10. capital — a city
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. face — to confront
  13. bear — the animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. capital — money
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. face — to point toward

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