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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lie — to recline
  14. prune — to trim
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. prune — to trim
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — humankind
  21. game — wild animals
  22. race — a contest
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. prune — the fruit

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