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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. chip — for betting
  5. rash — a series
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kick — in football
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. date — the fruit
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. race — a contest
  22. chip — to eat
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — humankind

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