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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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. lash — to lash out
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bound — obliged
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. face — part of the head
  9. spell — magic
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. spell — letters
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bore — to tire
  17. face — to point toward
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bore — to drill
  20. game — a match
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. game — wild animals
  23. face — to confront
  24. pass — to succeed

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