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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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Word bank
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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. face — to confront
  3. scale — size or range
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. cue — a hint
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cue — for pool
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bat — the animal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. scale — in music
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. game — wild animals
  16. craft — a skill
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. cue — a signal
  21. face — part of the head
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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