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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mate — a partner
  3. lie — to recline
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wind — moving air
  6. toast — bread
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mate — to breed
  11. face — part of the head
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cell — in biology
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mate — a friend
  24. wind — to turn a key

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