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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. net — after costs
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. net — for catching
  14. bore — to tire
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bore — to drill
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. net — in sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. rest — a break

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