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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. face — to confront
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. face — to point toward
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bass — the fish
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bass — low music
  22. face — part of the head
  23. tube — a container
  24. fan — a supporter

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