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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rock — a stone
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. land — to come down
  8. face — to confront
  9. rock — music
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. land — ground
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. last — to go on
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. last — final
  19. last — finally
  20. land — a country
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. lean — to rest against

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