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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. spell — letters
  4. rest — what's left
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. track — a path
  7. field — farmland
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. field — a subject
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. spell — magic
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. track — a song
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. field — for sport
  19. rest — a break
  20. track — to keep track
  21. snap — to click
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bear — the animal
  24. spell — a short time

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