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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. swing — to play on
  5. face — part of the head
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. swing — in golf
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. track — a path
  11. lie — to recline
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bank — for money
  15. track — a song
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bank — for money
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bank — of a river
  20. track — to keep track
  21. swing — music
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  24. kick — in football

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