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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. bore — to tire
  7. season — of the year
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. hand — in cards
  14. face — to point toward
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bore — to drill
  17. hand — help
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. season — in sport
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. hand — part of the body

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