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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: patient · march · lash · vault · lie · arm · roll · face

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — a list
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. march — music
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. face — to point toward
  20. march — the month
  21. lie — to recline
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. march — the month
  24. patient — a sick person

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