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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 120 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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. swing — to play on
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. swing — in golf
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bound — certain
  10. track — a song
  11. present — a gift
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bound — obliged
  14. track — to keep track
  15. file — a document
  16. bound — tied together
  17. file — a tool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. present — there
  20. present — the time now
  21. track — a path
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. swing — music
  24. hide — animal skin

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