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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 116 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rest — a break
  4. shower — to wash
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. face — to point toward
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stand — to bear
  15. plane — a tool
  16. face — to confront
  17. shower — rain
  18. bound — certain
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bound — tied together
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rest — what's left

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