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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. face — to confront
  4. file — a line of people
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. game — wild animals
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. charge — a price
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. face — to point toward
  13. file — a tool
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. present — there
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. file — a document
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — the time now
  21. face — part of the head
  22. game — a match
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lash — to lash out

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