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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. mug — a face
  4. season — in sport
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bat — the animal
  8. face — part of the head
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. rest — what's left
  11. branch — a division
  12. face — to point toward
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. season — of the year
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rest — a break
  21. roll — a cake
  22. face — to confront
  23. roll — a list
  24. lash — an eyelash

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