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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: hide · bulb · scale · leaves · lash · wound · arm · present

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wound — an injury
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. present — there
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. scale — in music
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bulb — for light
  15. present — a gift
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. present — the time now
  24. leaves — lets stay

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