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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. key — the most important part
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. key — for a lock
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. key — in music
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. face — to point toward
  17. content — the amount
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mine — for digging
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. content — happy
  24. game — a kind of play

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