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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. lash — to lash out
  2. can — a tin
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. march — the month
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cue — for pool
  7. file — a tool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lean — thin
  10. march — music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. file — a line of people
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. file — a document
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. cue — a hint
  19. march — the month
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cue — a signal
  22. can — a tin
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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