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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 · mark · wind · saw · lash · deal · firm · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wind — moving air
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. firm — decided
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. firm — a company
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mark — a grade
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. face — part of the head
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mark — a trace
  21. firm — steady
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lean — thin
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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