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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wind — moving air
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cue — a hint
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cue — a signal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. tube — a container
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rest — what's left
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rest — a break
  22. tube — the underground
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rest — what's left

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