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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. spring — of water
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. spring — the season
  7. tube — a container
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wind — moving air
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. spring — a coil
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. foot — a measure
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. tube — in a tire

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