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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 116 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. scale — size or range
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. spring — of water
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. scale — in music
  10. spring — a coil
  11. lean — thin
  12. spring — the season
  13. march — music
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. march — the month
  20. tube — the underground
  21. march — the month
  22. tube — a container
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lean — to rest against

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