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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. face — to confront
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. cell — a phone
  5. face — part of the head
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cell — in biology
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mine — for digging
  16. face — to point toward
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. game — a match
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. game — wild animals

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