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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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Word bank
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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. face — to confront
  3. can — a tin
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. face — to point toward
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. chip — to eat
  9. land — ground
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. land — to come down
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. land — a country
  19. chip — for betting
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mug — a cup
  22. face — part of the head
  23. date — the fruit
  24. can — to be able to

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