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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rock — a stone
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rock — music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fall — the season
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wave — with your hand

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