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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fall — to drop
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cold — not warm
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. fall — the season
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cold — an illness
  15. plane — a tool
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. fall — to drop
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. current — of water
  23. pound — a weight
  24. plane — an aircraft

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