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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. field — a subject
  8. rule — a law
  9. march — the month
  10. rule — government
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. field — farmland
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. field — for sport
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rush — hurry

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