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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: stand · lash · ground · face · net · spell · jam · mate

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. spell — magic
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. ground — the earth
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mate — a friend
  8. spell — letters
  9. face — to point toward
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. net — after costs
  12. mate — to breed
  13. ground — a position
  14. mate — a partner
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. net — in sport
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. face — part of the head
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. ground — crushed
  21. net — for catching
  22. stand — to bear
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. face — to confront

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