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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. present — a gift
  3. wound — an injury
  4. face — part of the head
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. present — there
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wound — an injury
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rock — music
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. suit — clothes
  18. face — to point toward
  19. hand — help
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. suit — to fit
  22. pitch — completely
  23. present — the time now
  24. face — to confront

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