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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. march — music
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rash — a series
  10. drill — army training
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. march — the month
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. drill — a practice
  22. march — the month
  23. drill — the tool
  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