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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. clip — for paper
  3. fall — the season
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. clip — a video
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mark — a trace
  13. staff — a stick
  14. march — the month
  15. staff — employees
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. clip — to cut
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. staff — employees

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