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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. face — to confront
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rush — hurry
  5. degree — an amount
  6. face — to point toward
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. degree — temperature
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stand — to bear
  16. file — a line of people
  17. cue — for pool
  18. file — a document
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. face — part of the head
  22. file — a tool
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rush — to hurry

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