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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bank — for money
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mate — a partner
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bank — for money
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. scale — in music
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bank — of a river
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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