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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. can — a tin
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. branch — a division
  16. date — the fruit
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rush — hurry

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