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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: game · face · chair · cap · racket · suit · arm · lash

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cap — of ice
  5. chair — a leader
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. face — part of the head
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. face — to point toward
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. suit — clothes
  13. cap — a lid
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. face — to confront
  16. suit — in cards
  17. cap — a hat
  18. game — a match
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. chair — a professorship

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