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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cue — for pool
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. toast — bread
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. face — to point toward
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. can — to be able to
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. can — a tin
  16. cue — a hint
  17. shower — to wash
  18. cue — a signal
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. shower — rain
  21. can — a tin
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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