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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.

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: can · bear · kid · scale · lash · face · sharp · land

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. can — a tin
  3. sharp — clever
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. can — a tin
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. face — to point toward
  11. kid — child
  12. bear — the animal
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. land — to come down
  15. kid — to tease
  16. land — a country
  17. bear — the animal
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. land — ground
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. scale — in music
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. can — to be able to
  24. face — to confront

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