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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wind — moving air
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. face — to confront
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fall — to drop
  13. tube — the underground
  14. face — part of the head
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tube — a container
  17. wind — moving air
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. fall — the season
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lash — to lash out

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