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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mark — a trace
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bear — the animal
  8. degree — temperature
  9. march — the month
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mark — a grade
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. march — the month
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. march — music
  22. degree — from a university
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. arm — a part of something

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