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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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Word bank
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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 · rock · dip · rash · snap · hand

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. face — part of the head
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rock — a stone
  6. dip — to sink
  7. hand — in cards
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. snap — to click
  12. rash — a series
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rock — music
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. hand — help
  18. face — to confront

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