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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. mate — to breed
  3. last — to go on
  4. pop — to visit
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pop — music
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. last — final
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — a container
  13. pop — soda
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. last — finally
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mate — a friend

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