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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stand — to bear
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. object — a thing
  7. content — the amount
  8. scale — size or range
  9. object — an aim
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. tube — the underground
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. content — happy
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. scale — in music
  20. object — to protest
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. tube — a container
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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