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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wind — moving air
  4. squash — the sport
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bass — low music
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ball — a great time
  15. tube — a container
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. squash — to crush
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. arm — a part of something

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