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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. snap — to click
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. object — an aim
  8. saw — the tool
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. object — to protest
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. cell — a phone
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. scale — in music
  15. object — a thing
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. saw — the tool
  23. toast — bread
  24. leaves — lets stay

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