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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: lash · ruler · bay · squash · ground · face · cap · rest

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — part of the head
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ground — the earth
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rest — a break
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. ground — crushed
  16. face — to point toward
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cap — a hat
  22. ground — a position
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cap — of ice

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