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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. craft — a skill
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. craft — boats
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fork — in a road
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. content — the amount
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. content — happy
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. stem — a stem cell

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