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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. firm — a company
  3. row — a line
  4. face — to confront
  5. row — to paddle
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rest — what's left
  9. firm — decided
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mine — for digging
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. present — the time now
  14. firm — steady
  15. rest — a break
  16. present — a gift
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. face — to point toward
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rest — what's left
  24. present — there

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