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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. dip — to sink
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. tear — to rip
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fine — high quality
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. tear — from crying
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — part of the head
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. tear — from crying
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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