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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 · branch · saw · pitcher · lash · wave · rash · lie

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. face — to point toward
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. face — part of the head
  5. saw — the tool
  6. face — to confront
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. branch — a division
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rash — a series
  24. wave — with your hand

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