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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 120 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. face — to confront
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. firm — steady
  6. row — a line
  7. mate — a friend
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. mate — a partner
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. face — part of the head
  15. row — to paddle
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mate — to breed
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. nail — on a finger

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