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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 116 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. face — to point toward
  4. board — to get on
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. face — part of the head
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. face — to confront
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. board — a committee
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bat — the animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mine — belonging to me

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