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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. race — humankind
  4. march — the month
  5. craft — boats
  6. spring — the season
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. race — the arms race
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. march — music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. march — the month
  14. race — a contest
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. spring — of water
  23. craft — a skill
  24. spring — a coil

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