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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. face — part of the head
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. scale — size or range
  6. staff — employees
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. band — a ring
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. face — to point toward
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. shower — rain
  16. staff — a stick
  17. face — to confront
  18. staff — employees
  19. scale — in music
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. band — a music group
  24. shower — to wash

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