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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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. present — the time now
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. face — part of the head
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wind — moving air
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. face — to point toward
  8. present — there
  9. dip — to sink
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wind — moving air
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. race — humankind
  16. wake — a trail
  17. squash — to crush
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. squash — the sport
  20. present — a gift
  21. face — to confront
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. dip — a sauce
  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