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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. key — in music
  12. branch — a division
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wind — moving air
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. kick — in football
  20. rest — what's left
  21. key — for a lock
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pit — a hole
  24. key — the most important part

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