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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rest — a break
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rock — music
  5. can — a tin
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rest — what's left
  8. can — to be able to
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. can — a tin
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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