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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. shower — to wash
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stock — goods
  14. press — to push
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. press — newspapers
  19. shower — rain
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stock — shares
  23. press — a publisher
  24. stock — a soup base

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