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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 116 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. face — to point toward
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. face — to confront
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. tear — to rip
  11. chip — for betting
  12. firm — a company
  13. face — part of the head
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cap — a hat
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. tear — from crying
  18. firm — steady
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wound — an injury
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. firm — decided
  23. wound — an injury
  24. tear — from crying

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