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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: leaves · wound · face · kid · bear · tube · lash · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. kid — to tease
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. face — to point toward
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bear — the animal
  11. kid — child
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. wound — an injury
  14. face — to confront
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. foot — a measure
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bear — the animal
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. face — part of the head
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. tube — a container

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