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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. face — to confront
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rock — music
  6. can — to be able to
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. face — part of the head
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mine — for digging
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pass — a permit
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rock — a stone
  19. can — a tin
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. can — a tin
  22. face — to point toward
  23. lean — thin
  24. pass — to succeed

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