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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · present · mark · craft · bat · leaves · staff · lash

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. present — the time now
  4. land — ground
  5. craft — boats
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bat — the animal
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. present — there
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. present — a gift
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mark — a grade
  15. land — a country
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. mark — a trace
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. land — to come down
  23. craft — a skill
  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