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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. staff — employees
  3. face — to confront
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. fine — high quality
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. staff — a stick
  12. suit — clothes
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. face — to point toward
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. staff — employees
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. suit — in cards

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