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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.

Make a worksheet

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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. face — to point toward
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. ball — a great time
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. face — to confront
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mug — a cup
  9. game — a match
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mug — a face
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. mug — to rob
  24. face — part of the head

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