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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fall — to drop
  7. charge — in control
  8. fine — all right
  9. date — the fruit
  10. charge — electricity
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fall — to drop
  13. face — to point toward
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. face — to confront
  17. spell — letters
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. charge — a price
  20. spell — magic
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spell — a short 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