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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rest — a break
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. branch — a division
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cap — a hat
  16. saw — the tool
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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