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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. march — the month
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. march — the month
  13. mate — to breed
  14. tube — a container
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. march — music
  19. mate — a friend
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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