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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. drill — a practice
  4. chip — for betting
  5. tube — a container
  6. face — part of the head
  7. tube — the underground
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. chip — to eat
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. face — to confront
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. face — to point toward
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. drill — army training
  21. stock — shares
  22. last — finally
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stock — goods

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