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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. face — to point toward
  5. suit — in cards
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bat — the animal
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. degree — from a university
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. degree — temperature
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. degree — an amount
  20. spell — magic
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. face — to confront
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. spell — letters

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