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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.

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: field · lash · mug · spell · face · cabinet · kick · ball

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. face — to point toward
  5. mug — to rob
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. face — to confront
  8. spell — magic
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. field — farmland
  12. spell — letters
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mug — a face
  16. field — for sport
  17. spell — a short time
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. kick — in football
  21. mug — a cup
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. field — a subject

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