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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. board — to get on
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pit — in a race
  6. march — music
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. board — a committee
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pit — a hole
  18. lean — thin
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. foot — a measure
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. march — the month

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