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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bank — for money
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. craft — boats
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. present — a gift
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cold — an illness
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. cold — not warm
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. present — there
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. present — the time now

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