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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. mug — a face
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — to rob
  10. wind — moving air
  11. craft — a skill
  12. march — the month
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. march — the month
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. march — music
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. craft — boats

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