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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · lash · calf · face · chest · spell · lie · object

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. saw — the tool
  3. chest — of your body
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lie — to recline
  6. spell — a short time
  7. chest — a box
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. face — part of the head
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. face — to point toward
  12. object — a thing
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. face — to confront
  22. chest — of your body
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — to protest

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