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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. tear — from crying
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rash — hasty
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. squash — to crush
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. tear — from crying
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. drill — the tool
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. drill — a practice
  15. squash — the sport
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. drill — army training
  18. tear — to rip
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fine — all right

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