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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. craft — a skill
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. craft — boats
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. snap — to click
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. face — to confront
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. season — in sport
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. season — of the year
  17. face — part of the head
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. field — for sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — farmland

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