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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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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 · roll · stick · lash · racket · season · toast · snap

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. season — of the year
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. face — to confront
  8. roll — a cake
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. season — in sport
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. toast — bread
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. roll — a list
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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