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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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468
Word bank
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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pass — a permit
  4. drill — the tool
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. drill — army training
  12. kick — in football
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kid — child
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. face — part of the head
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. drill — a practice
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. club — for dancing

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