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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. face — to point toward
  3. tube — a container
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rash — a series
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. face — to confront
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stand — to bear
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rash — hasty
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. face — part of the head
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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