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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 120 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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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 — an eyelash
  2. spring — of water
  3. face — to confront
  4. pass — a permit
  5. spring — the season
  6. face — part of the head
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pit — in a race
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. spring — a coil
  19. tear — from crying
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. coach — a trainer
  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