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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. game — a match
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. face — to point toward
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. face — part of the head
  10. game — wild animals
  11. can — a tin
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. can — a tin
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. can — to be able to
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. row — to paddle
  23. branch — a division
  24. lash — to lash out

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