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

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. saw — the tool
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. charge — in control
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wake — a trail
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. saw — the tool

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