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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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 point toward
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. squash — the sport
  5. face — part of the head
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. ball — a great time
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. can — a tin
  11. tube — a container
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. squash — to crush
  15. ball — a dance
  16. staff — a stick
  17. tube — the underground
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. staff — employees
  21. face — to confront
  22. can — a tin
  23. snap — to click
  24. staff — employees

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