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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. present — a gift
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bank — of a river
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. last — to go on
  11. sharp — clever
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. present — the time now
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. present — there
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. face — to confront

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