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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 124 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. present — the time now
  6. face — to confront
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. file — a tool
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. present — there
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. file — a document
  20. face — part of the head
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pound — a weight
  23. present — a gift
  24. file — a line of people

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