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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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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: rash · foot · chip · lash · face · nail · straw · bear

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rash — hasty
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rash — a series
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. chip — to eat
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. face — part of the head
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. face — to confront
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. foot — a measure
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. foot — the bottom

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