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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: foot · snap · chip · cabinet · wake · lash · face · mate

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mate — to breed
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. snap — to click
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wake — a trail
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. mate — a partner
  19. chip — for betting
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. mate — a friend
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. cabinet — ministers

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