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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. pit — in a race
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rash — a series
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. row — a line
  16. bear — the animal
  17. face — to confront
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pit — a hole
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rush — a thrill

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