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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: hide · face · arm · bound · lash · pit · cap · toast

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. face — to confront
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bound — tied together
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bound — certain
  13. face — part of the head
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pit — in a race
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bound — obliged
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. face — to point toward

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