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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bank — for money
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bat — the animal
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rash — a series
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mug — to rob
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bank — of a river
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mug — a cup
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bank — for money
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. mug — a face

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