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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 116 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mug — to rob
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mug — a face
  11. mate — a friend
  12. present — the time now
  13. saw — the tool
  14. present — a gift
  15. mate — a partner
  16. present — there
  17. game — a match
  18. march — the month
  19. game — wild animals
  20. mate — to breed
  21. march — the month
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. mug — a cup
  24. march — music

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