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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: cold · march · squash · face · charge · temple · deal · lash

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. squash — the sport
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cold — not warm
  7. face — part of the head
  8. charge — in control
  9. face — to confront
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. march — music
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. march — the month
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. march — the month
  19. squash — to crush
  20. deal — to handle
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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