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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bat — the animal
  7. track — a song
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. track — a path
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. track — to keep track
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. nail — on a finger

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