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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 had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. fall — the season
  3. bass — low music
  4. hand — in cards
  5. fall — to drop
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. face — to confront
  8. bass — the fish
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. spell — magic
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. hand — help
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. face — to point toward
  20. spell — a short time
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spell — letters
  24. lash — an eyelash

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