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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.

Make a worksheet

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: snap · face · cabinet · pitch · rash · mug · lash · bound

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. rash — a series
  2. mug — a face
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. face — to point toward
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bound — certain
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rash — hasty
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. face — to confront
  20. snap — to click
  21. mug — to rob
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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