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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wind — moving air
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. suit — in cards
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. face — part of the head
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. suit — to fit
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. cap — a hat
  20. suit — clothes
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. face — to confront

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