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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. game — a match
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. face — to confront
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lie — to recline
  10. face — to point toward
  11. charge — in control
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. charge — a price
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — not warm
  17. face — part of the head
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. game — wild animals
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bank — of a river
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lie — an untruth

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