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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. object — a thing
  4. fine — all right
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. season — in sport
  8. file — a line of people
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. file — a tool
  11. object — to protest
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. season — of the year
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. file — a document
  20. object — an aim
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. season — to add flavour

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