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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. last — to go on
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cap — a lid
  9. ball — a great time
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. last — finally
  13. cap — a hat
  14. deal — to handle
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. cap — of ice
  18. last — final
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rock — a stone
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rock — music
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. lash — an eyelash

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