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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. spring — of water
  3. staff — employees
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. face — to confront
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. staff — employees
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. craft — boats
  14. spring — the season
  15. face — part of the head
  16. snap — to click
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. spring — a coil
  19. cue — a signal
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wound — an injury
  22. craft — a skill
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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