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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. file — a tool
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rush — hurry
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pop — soda
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pop — music
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. file — a document
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — humankind
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. pop — to visit
  22. race — a contest
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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