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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 124 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. face — part of the head
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. face — to confront
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — all right
  12. stand — to bear
  13. branch — a division
  14. face — to point toward
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. snap — to click
  22. fine — high quality
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. trunk — of a tree

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