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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. present — the time now
  3. land — to come down
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. land — ground
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. present — a gift
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. branch — a division
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. land — a country
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. perch — the fish
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. present — there
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lash — to lash out

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