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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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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. last — finally
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. last — to go on
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. swing — music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. last — final
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bore — to drill
  19. swing — in golf
  20. face — to point toward
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. nail — on a finger

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