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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. face — part of the head
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lie — an untruth

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