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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bound — obliged
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bound — certain
  7. march — the month
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. march — music
  12. present — a gift
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wake — a trail
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. lash — an eyelash

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