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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: lash · cold · lie · dip · rock · face · board · chair

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — an illness
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rock — a stone
  10. board — to get on
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cold — not warm
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. face — to point toward
  24. chair — a professorship

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