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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: face · spring · lash · rule · firm · bay · mouse · cabinet

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. firm — a company
  3. rule — a law
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. firm — decided
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. face — to point toward
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. face — to confront
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. face — part of the head
  21. firm — steady
  22. rule — government
  23. spring — the season
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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