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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. spell — magic
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. squash — the sport
  5. ground — the earth
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. spell — letters
  8. face — to point toward
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. club — a group
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. squash — to crush
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. ground — crushed
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. face — part of the head
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. club — for golf
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ground — a position
  21. spell — a short time
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. club — for dancing
  24. ball — a great time

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