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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. face — to confront
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. shower — rain
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. race — a contest
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. face — part of the head
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. race — humankind
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. race — the arms race

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