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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cap — of ice
  3. firm — steady
  4. cap — a hat
  5. face — to confront
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. face — to point toward
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. spring — of water
  12. face — part of the head
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cap — a lid
  16. spring — the season
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. firm — a company
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. firm — decided
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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