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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. board — to get on
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bass — low music
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bass — the fish
  14. dip — to sink
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. swing — music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. board — a committee
  22. bear — the animal
  23. kick — in football
  24. march — music

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