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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. chest — of your body
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. face — to point toward
  9. squash — to crush
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. chest — of your body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. chest — a box
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. shower — rain
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. perch — the fish
  21. squash — the sport
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. shower — to wash

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