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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. press — to push
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bat — the animal
  11. press — newspapers
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. press — a publisher
  24. calf — a young animal

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