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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. season — in sport
  3. row — to paddle
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bound — tied together
  6. row — a line
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. tube — a container
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. field — farmland
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. field — a subject
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bound — certain
  19. tube — the underground
  20. field — for sport
  21. bound — obliged
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. season — of the year
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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