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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. lean — to bend
  6. face — part of the head
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. face — to confront
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lean — thin
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. face — to point toward
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wake — a trail
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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