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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. face — to confront
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. face — part of the head
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. spell — a short time
  8. face — to point toward
  9. spell — magic
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — to bend
  12. kick — in football
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fine — high quality
  18. lean — thin
  19. fine — all right
  20. spell — letters
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. kick — a thrill

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