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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. face — to point toward
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. branch — a division
  7. ground — crushed
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. ground — a position
  15. chair — a leader
  16. face — to confront
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pitch — completely
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. branch — of a tree

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