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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: face · mark · lash · nail · fine · chair · mug · ball

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mug — a cup
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. face — to confront
  7. mug — to rob
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. chair — a leader
  12. face — to point toward
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fine — all right
  15. face — part of the head
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mug — a face
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mark — a grade
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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