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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · bear · racket · wind · lie · lash

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. face — part of the head
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. face — to confront
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. racket — for tennis

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