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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. season — in sport
  9. squash — the sport
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. squash — to crush
  12. can — to be able to
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. can — a tin
  18. bat — the animal
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. can — a tin

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