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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. board — a committee
  9. face — part of the head
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. net — after costs
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. board — to get on
  17. hand — in cards
  18. face — to confront
  19. mark — a grade
  20. net — for catching
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. net — in sport
  24. hand — help

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