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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. net — in sport
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — army training
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. key — for a lock
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. key — the most important part
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rest — a break
  17. net — for catching
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. net — after costs
  20. key — in music
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rest — what's left
  24. leaves — lets stay

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