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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. shower — rain
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bat — the animal
  11. shower — to wash
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. branch — a division
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. lash — to lash out

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