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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 120 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. face — part of the head
  3. fall — the season
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. staff — employees
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bulb — for light
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. fall — to drop
  15. staff — employees
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fall — to drop
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. staff — a stick
  24. root — of a plant

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