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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pop — to visit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pass — a permit
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. hand — help
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. band — a music group
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. band — a ring
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wound — an injury
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. hand — in cards

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