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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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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: dip · wake · face · game · fine · lash

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. face — to confront
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. game — a match
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. fine — all right
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wake — a trail

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