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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. tear — from crying
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. present — a gift
  7. cue — a signal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. tear — to rip
  10. drill — army training
  11. bass — low music
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. present — the time now
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bass — the fish
  19. present — there
  20. cue — for pool
  21. plane — a tool
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. drill — a practice
  24. leaves — to go away

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