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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 116 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — ground
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. land — to come down
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mug — to rob
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wound — an injury
  16. snap — to click
  17. cell — a phone
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. face — to confront
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. mug — a face
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mug — a cup

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