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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chest — a box
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. season — in sport
  8. fall — the season
  9. rule — government
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. march — music
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. march — the month
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. march — the month
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rule — a law
  23. chest — of your body
  24. season — of the year

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