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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: wound · last · lash · racket · bound · pit · face · net

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. face — to point toward
  4. net — after costs
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. net — for catching
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pit — a hole
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. last — finally
  12. face — to confront
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bound — tied together
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bound — certain
  18. pit — in a race
  19. last — final
  20. net — in sport
  21. last — to go on
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wound — an injury

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