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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: rock · face · lash · season · chip · chest · net · race

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. race — a contest
  3. chest — of your body
  4. race — the arms race
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. net — in sport
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. face — to point toward
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. face — part of the head
  12. race — humankind
  13. season — in sport
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chest — a box
  17. chip — for betting
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. season — of the year
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. face — to confront
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chip — to eat

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