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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. spell — letters
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. spell — magic
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. face — part of the head
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. face — to confront
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. last — final
  21. spell — a short time
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. nail — for a hammer

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