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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. object — an aim
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. object — to protest
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. object — a thing
  9. bass — the fish
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. tube — a container
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bass — low music
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. face — to confront
  24. rest — a break

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