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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. snap — to click
  3. rush — hurry
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. face — to point toward
  7. lie — to recline
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. board — a committee
  11. present — there
  12. board — to get on
  13. mine — for digging
  14. face — to confront
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. present — a gift
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. face — part of the head
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. present — the time now
  24. rush — a thrill

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