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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. toast — bread
  3. rock — a stone
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. face — to confront
  7. snap — to click
  8. bore — to tire
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bore — to drill
  19. rock — music
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rock — to move gently

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