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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 124 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. roll — a cake
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rash — hasty
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. can — a tin
  13. cap — of ice
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. rash — a series
  20. cap — a lid
  21. roll — a list
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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