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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — shares
  7. season — of the year
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. scale — in music
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stock — goods
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. season — in sport
  17. scale — size or range
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. lash — an eyelash

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