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

Word bank: present · wound · lash · kid · season · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. present — there
  3. kid — to tease
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — the time now
  11. season — in sport
  12. wound — an injury
  13. season — of the year
  14. face — to confront
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. face — to point toward
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. kid — child

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