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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.

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: chip · face · land · mate · bulb · calf · press · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. land — to come down
  5. face — part of the head
  6. land — a country
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. press — a publisher
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. press — to push
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mate — a friend
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mate — to breed
  22. land — ground
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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