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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wound — an injury
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. craft — boats
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. wound — an injury
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bulb — for light
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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