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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 120 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.

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: lash · fine · cabinet · rock · fan · bat · face · arm

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fine — all right
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. face — to confront
  5. bat — the animal
  6. rock — music
  7. face — to point toward
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. face — part of the head
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bat — in an idiom

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