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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rash — a series
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rash — hasty
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. date — the fruit
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. fine — all right
  12. rest — a break
  13. fine — high quality
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. season — in sport
  22. rest — what's left
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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