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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.

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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 · kick · hide · firm · lash · pit · rest · net

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. face — to confront
  3. firm — steady
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pit — a hole
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. firm — decided
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pit — in a race
  19. net — for catching
  20. kick — in football
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. face — to point toward
  24. firm — a company

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