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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. face — to confront
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rest — what's left
  11. face — part of the head
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. board — to get on
  17. face — to point toward
  18. cap — a lid
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cap — of ice
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. ball — a great time
  23. board — a committee
  24. racket — a loud noise

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