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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. face — part of the head
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. chip — to eat
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. mark — a trace
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wound — an injury
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mark — a grade
  24. chip — for betting

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