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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: present · wound · lash · kid · season · face · file · mug

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mug — a face
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. present — there
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mug — a cup
  8. file — a document
  9. present — a gift
  10. season — of the year
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. wound — an injury
  14. season — in sport
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. present — the time now
  17. face — to confront
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. file — a tool
  20. face — to point toward
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mug — to rob
  23. kid — to tease
  24. face — part of the head

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