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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. game — wild animals
  5. face — to confront
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. game — a match
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. face — to point toward
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wax — to grow
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cell — a phone
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. plane — a tool
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. face — part of the head

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