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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. craft — boats
  4. pound — a weight
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. march — music
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. march — the month
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. march — the month
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. fan — a supporter
  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