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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. firm — a company
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. object — an aim
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. tube — the underground
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. firm — steady
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fall — to drop
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. object — to protest
  18. lean — to bend
  19. object — a thing
  20. lean — thin
  21. tube — a container
  22. firm — decided
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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